Proverbs
1 The proverbs of Solʹo·mon,+ the son of David,+ the king of Israel:+
2 To learn* wisdom+ and discipline;
To understand wise sayings;
3 To acquire the discipline+ that gives insight,
Righteousness,+ good judgment,*+ and uprightness;*
4 To impart shrewdness+ to the inexperienced;
To give a young man knowledge and thinking ability.+
5 A wise person listens and takes in more instruction;+
A man of understanding acquires skillful direction*+
6 To understand a proverb and a puzzling saying,*
The words of the wise and their riddles.+
7 The fear of* Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge.+
Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.+
10 My son, if sinners try to entice you, do not consent.+
11 If they say: “Come with us.
Let us set an ambush to shed blood.
We will lie hidden, waiting for innocent victims without cause.
12 We will swallow them alive as the Grave* does,
Whole, like those going down to the pit.
13 Let us seize all their precious treasures;
We will fill our houses with spoil.
15 My son, do not follow them.
17 It is surely in vain to spread a net in full sight of a bird.
18 That is why these lie in ambush to shed blood;
They lie hidden to take the lives* of others.
19 These are the ways of those seeking dishonest profit,
20 True wisdom+ cries aloud in the street.+
It keeps raising its voice in the public squares.+
21 At the corner* of the busy streets it calls out.
At the entrances of the city gates it says:+
22 “How long will you inexperienced ones love inexperience?
How long will you ridiculers take pleasure in ridicule?
And how long will you foolish ones hate knowledge?+
Then I will pour out my spirit for you;
I will make my words known to you.+
24 Because I called out, but you kept refusing,
I stretched out my hand, but no one was paying attention,+
25 You kept neglecting all my advice
And rejecting my reproof,
26 I also will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when what you dread comes,+
27 When what you dread comes like a storm,
And your disaster arrives like a storm wind,
When distress and trouble come upon you.
28 At that time they will keep calling me, but I will not answer;
They will eagerly look for me, but they will not find me,+
29 Because they hated knowledge,+
And they did not choose to fear Jehovah.+
30 They refused my advice;
They disrespected all my reproof.
31 So they will bear the consequences* of their way,+
And they will be glutted with their own counsel.*
32 For the waywardness of the inexperienced will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.