Proverbs 1

    Purpose and Theme
  2. for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;
  4. for giving prudence to those who are simple,[1] knowledge and discretion to the young—
  6. for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.[2]
  7. Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
  8. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools[3] despise wisdom and instruction.
  9. Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
  12. My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.
  15. we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
  16. cast lots with us; we will all share the loot"—
  18. for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.
  19. How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!
  20. These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!
  22. Wisdom's Rebuke
  23. Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;
  24. on top of the wall[4] she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:
  25. "How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
  28. since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke,
  29. I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
  32. since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD.
  33. Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
  1. The Hebrew word rendered 'simple' in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
  2. Or 'understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles'
  3. The Hebrew words rendered 'fool' in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
  4. Septuagint; Hebrew '/ at noisy street corners'


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