Proverbs 1 | King James Version

King James Version

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. 17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying , 22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

New International Reader’s Version

1 These are the proverbs of Solomon. He was the son of David and the king of Israel. 2 Proverbs teach you wisdom and instruct you. They help you understand wise sayings. 3 They provide you with instruction and help you live wisely. They lead to what is right and honest and fair. 4 They give understanding to childish people. They give knowledge and good sense to those who are young. 5 Let wise people listen and add to what they have learned. Let those who understand what is right get guidance. 6 What I’m teaching also helps you understand proverbs and stories. It helps you understand the sayings and riddles of those who are wise. 7 If you really want to gain knowledge, you must begin by having respect for the LORD. But foolish people hate wisdom and instruction.

A warning against sinful men

8 My son, listen to your father’s advice. Don’t turn away from your mother’s teaching. 9 What they teach you will be like a beautiful crown on your head. It will be like a chain to decorate your neck. 10 My son, if sinful men tempt you, don’t give in to them. 11 They might say, ‘Come along with us. Let’s hide and wait to kill someone who hasn’t done anything wrong. Let’s catch some harmless person in our trap. 12 Let’s swallow them alive, as the grave does. Let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down into the pit. 13 We’ll get all kinds of valuable things. We’ll fill our houses with what we steal. 14 Cast lots with us for what they own. We’ll share everything we take from them.’ 15 My son, don’t go along with them. Don’t even set your feet on their paths. 16 They are always in a hurry to sin. They are quick to spill someone’s blood. 17 How useless it is to spread a net where every bird can see it! 18 Those who hide and wait will spill their own blood. They will be caught in their own trap. 19 That’s what happens to everyone who goes after money in the wrong way. That kind of money takes away the life of those who get it.

Wisdom’s warning

20 Out in the open wisdom calls out. She raises her voice in a public place. 21 On top of the city wall she cries out. Here is what she says near the gate of the city. 22 ‘How long will you childish people love your childish ways? How long will you rude people enjoy making fun of God and others? How long will you foolish people hate knowledge? 23 Pay attention to my warning! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you. I will make known to you my teachings. 24 But you refuse to listen when I call out to you. No one pays attention when I reach out my hand. 25 You turn away from all my advice. And you do not accept my warning. 26 So I will laugh at you when you are in danger. I will make fun of you when hard times come. 27 I will laugh when hard times hit you like a storm. I will laugh when danger comes your way like a violent storm. I will make fun of you when suffering and trouble come. 28 ‘Then you will call to me. But I won’t answer. You will look for me. But you won’t find me. 29 You hated knowledge. You didn’t choose to have respect for the LORD. 30 You wouldn’t accept my advice. You turned your backs on my warnings. 31 So you will eat the fruit of the way you have lived. You will choke on the fruit of what you have planned. 32 ‘The wrong path that childish people take will kill them. Foolish people will be destroyed by being satisfied with the way they live. 33 But those who listen to me will live in safety. They will be at ease and have no fear of being harmed.’