Proverbs 1

Important proverbs ▼

▼1:0 Chapters 1 to 9 are about Solomon’s wise lessons.

1These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel.

2Here are the proverbs that will make you wise. They will help you to understand good messages even when they are difficult.

3They can help you to understand life. They can teach you how to live a good honest life. And they can teach you how to be fair to everyone.

4They can cause a person who knows nothing to become clever. And they teach young people what they should know. And they teach them the right way to live.

5These proverbs can even make wise people more wise. And to those who love to learn, they can give help to know more.

6In that way, they can understand the thoughts that wise men have hidden in their proverbs and in their words.

Good words for young people

7You must be afraid of the LORD, even before you begin to learn anything. People who are fools do not listen to wise words. They refuse to learn them.

8Listen, my son, to the words of your father. And do not forget what your mother taught you. ▼

▼1:8 In Solomon’s time, both parents taught their children.

9A circle of leaves round your head and a chain round your neck make you more beautiful. In the same way, what your father and mother teach you will make you a better person.

10When bad men try to cause you to sin, my son, do not do it.

11They may say, ‘Come with us. We will find someone to kill. We will attack people who have not done anything wrong.

12They may be alive and well when we find them. But they will be dead when we leave them.

13We will get lots of valuable things and we will fill our houses with them.

14Come and join us. Our money will be your money. And your money will be our money.’

15My son, do not go with people like that. Stay away from them.

16They cannot wait to do something bad. They are always in a hurry to kill.

17The bird that you want to catch may be watching you. So do not show the bird how you will catch it.

18In the same way, these men want to kill other men. But in the end, they will die themselves.

19This is the end of everyone who will kill people to take things from them. That person will die himself as a result.

Someone wise is shouting

20Listen! Someone wise is shouting in the streets. She is speaking loudly in the market places.

21She speaks in the city. She shouts loudly at the gates, and in all places where people meet.

22‘Some silly people enjoy being silly. Some people enjoy laughing at those who want to learn. And fools refuse to listen to wise words. All of those people should stop doing those things.

23I will let you know my thoughts and how I feel. Listen when I tell you about danger.

24I shouted to you and I asked you to come. But you refused to come. Nobody listened to what I was saying.

25You refused to listen to my wise words. I told you that you were wrong. But you did not want to hear.

26So, when you are in trouble, I will laugh at you. When you are afraid, I will laugh at you.

27You may be afraid as if you were in a storm. Your troubles may be dangerous like a very strong wind. Pain and problems may happen to you.

28Then you will shout to me, but I will not answer. You will look for me everywhere, but you will not find me.

29You have never liked to hear wise words and you have always refused to be afraid of the LORD.

30You have never wanted to listen to my wise words. I told you that you were wrong. But you thought that my words were not important.

31So now other people will punish you. And everything that you do will make life very difficult for you.

32Silly people and fools love only themselves. They will die when they do not listen to wise words.

33But whoever listens to me will live safely. And so he will be really quiet. And he will not be afraid of bad things that might happen to him.’