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Proverbs

1The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

Prologue

² For learning about wisdom and instruction,
   for understanding words of insight,
³ for gaining instruction in wise dealing,
   righteousness, justice, and equity;
⁴ to teach shrewdness to the simple,
   knowledge and prudence to the young—
⁵ let the wise also hear and gain in learning,
   and the discerning acquire skill,
⁶ to understand a proverb and a figure,
   the words of the wise and their riddles.

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
   fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Warnings against Evil Companions

⁸ Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
   and do not reject your mother’s teaching;
⁹ for they are a fair garland for your head,
   and pendants for your neck.
¹⁰ My child, if sinners entice you,
   do not consent.
¹¹ If they say, ‘Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
   let us wantonly ambush the innocent;
¹² like Sheol let us swallow them alive
   and whole, like those who go down to the Pit.
¹³ We shall find all kinds of costly things;
   we shall fill our houses with booty.
¹⁴ Throw in your lot among us;
   we will all have one purse’—
¹⁵ my child, do not walk in their way,
   keep your foot from their paths;
¹⁶ for their feet run to evil,
   and they hurry to shed blood.
¹⁷ For in vain is the net baited
   while the bird is looking on;
¹⁸ yet they lie in wait—to kill themselves!
   and set an ambush—for their own lives!
¹⁹ Such is the end^* of all who are greedy for gain;
   it takes away the life of its possessors.

The Call of Wisdom

²⁰ Wisdom cries out in the street;
   in the squares she raises her voice.
²¹ At the busiest corner she cries out;
   at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
²² ‘How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
   and fools hate knowledge?
²³ Give heed to my reproof;
I will pour out my thoughts to you;
   I will make my words known to you.
²⁴ Because I have called and you refused,
   have stretched out my hand and no one heeded,
²⁵ and because you have ignored all my counsel
   and would have none of my reproof,
²⁶ I also will laugh at your calamity;
   I will mock when panic strikes you,
²⁷ when panic strikes you like a storm,
   and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
   when distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸ Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
   they will seek me diligently, but will not find me.
²⁹ Because they hated knowledge
   and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
³⁰ would have none of my counsel,
   and despised all my reproof,
³¹ therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way
   and be sated with their own devices.
³² For waywardness kills the simple,
   and the complacency of fools destroys them;
³³ but those who listen to me will be secure
   and will live at ease, without dread of disaster.’

The Gifts of Wisdom

8Does not wisdom call,
   and does not understanding raise her voice?
² On the heights, beside the way,
   at the crossroads she takes her stand;
³ beside the gates in front of the town,
   at the entrance of the portals she cries out:
⁴ ‘To you, O people, I call,
   and my cry is to all that live.
⁵ O simple ones, learn prudence;
   acquire intelligence, you who lack it.
⁶ Hear, for I will speak noble things,
   and from my lips will come what is right;
⁷ for my mouth will utter truth;
   wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
⁸ All the words of my mouth are righteous;
   there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.
⁹ They are all straight to one who understands
   and right to those who find knowledge.
¹⁰ Take my instruction instead of silver,
   and knowledge rather than choice gold;
¹¹ for wisdom is better than jewels,
   and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.
¹² I, wisdom, live with prudence,^*
   and I attain knowledge and discretion.
¹³ The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
   and perverted speech I hate.
¹⁴ I have good advice and sound wisdom;
   I have insight, I have strength.
¹⁵ By me kings reign,
   and rulers decree what is just;
¹⁶ by me rulers rule,
   and nobles, all who govern rightly.
¹⁷ I love those who love me,
   and those who seek me diligently find me.
¹⁸ Riches and honour are with me,
   enduring wealth and prosperity.
¹⁹ My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
   and my yield than choice silver.
²⁰ I walk in the way of righteousness,
   along the paths of justice,
²¹ endowing with wealth those who love me,
   and filling their treasuries.

15A soft answer turns away wrath,
   but a harsh word stirs up anger.
² The tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge,^*
   but the mouths of fools pour out folly.
³ The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
   keeping watch on the evil and the good.
⁴ A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
   but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.
⁵ A fool despises a parent’s instruction,
   but the one who heeds admonition is prudent.
⁶ In the house of the righteous there is much treasure,
   but trouble befalls the income of the wicked.
⁷ The lips of the wise spread knowledge;
   not so the minds of fools.
⁸ The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
   but the prayer of the upright is his delight.
⁹ The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,
   but he loves the one who pursues righteousness.
¹⁰ There is severe discipline for one who forsakes the way,
   but one who hates a rebuke will die.
¹¹ Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the Lord,
   how much more human hearts!
¹² Scoffers do not like to be rebuked;
   they will not go to the wise.
¹³ A glad heart makes a cheerful countenance,
   but by sorrow of heart the spirit is broken.
¹⁴ The mind of one who has understanding seeks knowledge,
   but the mouths of fools feed on folly.
¹⁵ All the days of the poor are hard,
   but a cheerful heart has a continual feast.
¹⁶ Better is a little with the fear of the Lord
   than great treasure and trouble with it.
¹⁷ Better is a dinner of vegetables where love is
   than a fatted ox and hatred with it.
¹⁸ Those who are hot-tempered stir up strife,
   but those who are slow to anger calm contention.
¹⁹ The way of the lazy is overgrown with thorns,
   but the path of the upright is a level highway.
²⁰ A wise child makes a glad father,
   but the foolish despise their mothers.
²¹ Folly is a joy to one who has no sense,
   but a person of understanding walks straight ahead.
²² Without counsel, plans go wrong,
   but with many advisers they succeed.
²³ To make an apt answer is a joy to anyone,
   and a word in season, how good it is!
²⁴ For the wise the path of life leads upwards,
   in order to avoid Sheol below.
²⁵ The Lord tears down the house of the proud,
   but maintains the widow’s boundaries.
²⁶ Evil plans are an abomination to the Lord,
   but gracious words are pure.
²⁷ Those who are greedy for unjust gain make trouble for their households,
   but those who hate bribes will live.
²⁸ The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,
   but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.
²⁹ The Lord is far from the wicked,
   but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
³⁰ The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
   and good news refreshes the body.
³¹ The ear that heeds wholesome admonition
   will lodge among the wise.
³² Those who ignore instruction despise themselves,
   but those who heed admonition gain understanding.
³³ The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom,
   and humility goes before honour.