Proverbs 1  Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

1 The proverbs (truths obscurely expressed, maxims, and parables) of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

^2 [a]That people may know skillful and godly ^[b]Wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight,

³ Receive instruction in wise dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness, justice, and integrity,

⁴ That prudence may be given to the simple, and knowledge, discretion, and discernment to the youth—

⁵ The wise also will hear and increase in learning, and the person of understanding will acquire skill and attain to sound counsel [so that he may be able to steer his course rightly]—^(A)

⁶ That people may understand a proverb and a figure of speech or an enigma with its interpretation, and the words of the wise and their dark sayings or riddles.

⁷ The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning and the principal and choice part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; but fools despise skillful and godly Wisdom, instruction, and discipline.^(B)

⁸ My son, hear the instruction of your father; reject not nor forsake the teaching of your mother.

⁹ For they are a [victor’s] chaplet (garland) of grace upon your head and chains and pendants [of gold worn by kings] for your neck.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.^(C)

¹¹ If they say, Come with us; let us lie in wait [to shed] blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause [and show that his piety is in vain];

¹² Let us swallow them up alive as does Sheol (the place of the dead), and whole, as those who go down into the pit [of the dead];

¹³ We shall find and take all kinds of precious goods [when our victims are put out of the way], we shall fill our houses with plunder;

¹⁴ Throw in your lot with us [they insist] and be a sworn brother and comrade; let us all have one purse in common—

¹⁵ My son, do not walk in the way with them; restrain your foot from their path;

¹⁶ For their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.

¹⁷ For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird!

¹⁸ But [when these men set a trap for others] they are lying in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.

¹⁹ So are the ways of everyone who is greedy of gain; such [greed for plunder] takes away the lives of its possessors.^(D)

^20 [c]Wisdom cries aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the markets;

²¹ She cries at the head of the noisy intersections [in the chief gathering places]; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

²² How long, O simple ones [open to evil], will you love being simple? And the scoffers delight in scoffing and [self-confident] fools hate knowledge?

²³ If you will turn (repent) and give heed to my reproof, behold, I [^[d]Wisdom] will pour out my spirit upon you, I will make my words known to you.^(E)

²⁴ Because I have called and you have refused [to answer], have stretched out my hand and no man has heeded it,^(F)

²⁵ And you treated as nothing all my counsel and would accept none of my reproof,

²⁶ I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when the thing comes that shall cause you terror and panic—

²⁷ When your panic comes as a storm and desolation and your calamity comes on as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.

²⁸ Then will they call upon me [Wisdom] but I will not answer; they will seek me early and diligently but they will not find me.^(G)

²⁹ Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord,^(H)

³⁰ Would accept none of my counsel, and despised all my reproof,

³¹ Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices.

³² For the backsliding of the simple shall slay them, and the careless ease of [self-confident] fools shall destroy them.^(I)

³³ But whoso hearkens to me [Wisdom] shall dwell securely and in confident trust and shall be quiet, without fear or dread of evil.