• Purpose and Theme

  • 1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
  • 2 for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;
  • 3 for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;
  • 4 for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—
  • 5 let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—
  • 6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
  • 7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

  • Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

  • 8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
  • 9 They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck.
  • 10 My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.
  • 11 If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul;
  • 12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
  • 13 we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder;
  • 14 cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—
  • 15 my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths;
  • 16 for their feet rush into evil, they are swift to shed blood.
  • 17 How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!
  • 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush only themselves!
  • 19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.

  • Wisdom’s Rebuke

  • 20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud, she raises her voice in the public square;
  • 21 on top of the wall she cries out, at the city gate she makes her speech:
  • 22 “How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?
  • 23 Repent at my rebuke! Then I will pour out my thoughts to you, I will make known to you my teachings.
  • 24 But since you refuse to listen when I call and no one pays attention when I stretch out my hand,
  • 25 since you disregard all my advice and do not accept my rebuke,
  • 26 I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you; I will mock when calamity overtakes you—
  • 27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind, when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
  • 28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me,
  • 29 since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the Lord.
  • 30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,
  • 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
  • 32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;
  • 33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”