ProverbsChapter 1

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¹These are the proverbs of Solomon.
He was the son of David and the king of Israel. ²They help you gain wisdom and discipline.
They help you understand wise words. ³They teach you to live wisely.
They teach you to do what is right, fair, and honest. ⁴They give good sense to simple people.
They give knowledge and careful thinking to the young. ⁵Let wise people listen and learn more.
Let people who understand get good advice. ⁶Then they will understand proverbs and stories.
They will understand the sayings and riddles of the wise. ⁷The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge.
But fools hate wisdom and discipline. ⁸My son, listen to what your father teaches you.
Do not turn away from what your mother teaches you. ⁹For their teaching is like a lovely wreath on your head.
It is like a necklace around your neck. ¹⁰My son, sinners may try to lead you astray.
If they do, don't give in to them. ¹¹If they say, "Come with us.
Let's hide and wait to kill someone.
Let's attack innocent people for no reason. ¹²Let's swallow them alive, like the grave does.
Let's swallow them whole, like people going down into the Pit.a ¹³We'll find all kinds of valuable things.
We'll fill our houses with what we steal. ¹⁴Join us and take your share.
We'll all have one money bag." ¹⁵My son, don't walk down the road with them.
Don't even step onto their path. ¹⁶For their feet run to do evil.
They are quick to kill. ¹⁷It is useless to spread a net
when any bird can see it! ¹⁸But these men hide and wait to spill their own blood.
They set a trap for their own lives. ¹⁹This is what happens to all who are greedy.
Money gained the wrong way takes the lives of those who have it. ²⁰Wisdom calls out in the street.
She raises her voice in the town square. ²¹She shouts on the busy main street.
She speaks at the city gates: ²²"Simple people, how long will you love being simple?
How long will mockers enjoy making fun of others?
How long will fools hate knowledge? ²³If only you had turned back when I warned you!
Then I would have poured out my spirit on you.
I would have made my words known to you. ²⁴Because you refused when I called,
and no one took my hand when I reached out, ²⁵because you ignored all my advice
and did not want any of my correction, ²⁶in turn I will laugh at your trouble.
I will mock you when terror strikes you, ²⁷when terror comes at you like a storm,
when ruin sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when pain and trouble overwhelm you. ²⁸Then they will call to me, but I will not answer.
They will look hard for me, but they will not find me. ²⁹This is because they hated knowledge.
They chose not to fear the LORD. ³⁰They would not take any of my advice.
They hated all my warnings. ³¹So they will eat the fruit of their own way.
They will be filled up with their own plans. ³²For simple people wander away, and it will kill them.
Fools feel too safe, and it will destroy them. ³³But whoever listens to me will live in safety.
They will be safe and not afraid of harm."