Proverbs 1

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2for learning wisdom and instruction, for understanding words of insight;

3for receiving instruction in wise living—righteousness, justice, and fairness;

4for giving shrewdness to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young.

5Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning gain guidance,

6for understanding a proverb and a figure of speech, the words of the wise and their riddles.

7The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; fools scorn wisdom and instruction.

8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not abandon your mother’s teaching,

9for they are a graceful wreath for your head and pendants for your neck.

10My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in.

11If they say, “Come with us; let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent for no reason;

12let us swallow them alive like Sheol, whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13we will find all kinds of precious wealth; we will fill our houses with plunder;

14throw in your lot with us; we will all share one purse”—

15my son, do not walk on the road with them; keep your foot from their path,

16for their feet run to evil, and they hurry to shed blood.

17It is useless to spread a net in plain sight of any bird,

18but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.

19Such are the ways of everyone who grabs for unjust gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.

20Wisdom cries aloud in the street; in the public squares she raises her voice.

21At the head of the noisy streets she calls out; at the entrances of the city gates she speaks her words:

22“How long, you simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will mockers delight in their mocking and fools hate knowledge?

23Turn to my correction. Look, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

24Because I called and you refused, because I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention,

25because you ignored all my counsel and would have none of my correction,

26I in turn will laugh at your disaster; I will mock when what you dread comes,

27when what you dread comes like a storm and your disaster sweeps in like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come on you.

28Then they will call to me, but I will not answer; they will search hard for me, but they will not find me,

29because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh.

30They would not accept my counsel; they despised all my correction.

31So they will eat the fruit of their own way and be stuffed full of their own schemes.

32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without dread of harm.”