The Superscription
11The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
The Purpose of Studying Proverbs
2To learn wisdom and discipline,
to understand sayings[] that give insight,[] 3to acquire discipline to act sensibly,
to acquire righteousness, justice, and fairness,
4to give good judgment[] to the inexperienced, to give a young man knowledge and foresight.
5A wise person should listen, and he will increase learning.
A person with understanding should obtain guidance
6so he will understand proverbs, puzzling statements,[] and the thought-provoking words of the wise.
7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of[] knowledge, but stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Solomon's Speeches About Wisdom
First Address to a Son: Avoid the Company of Sinners
8Listen, my son, to your father's discipline,
and do not forsake your mother's teaching,
9because they are a garland of grace for your head.
They are jewelry for your neck.
10My son, if sinners lure you, do not go along with them.
11If they say,
“Come with us. Let's lie in wait to shed blood.
Let's hide and ambush an innocent person for no reason.
12We will swallow them alive like the grave.
We will swallow them whole like those who go down to the pit.
13We will find all kinds of wealth and treasure.
We will fill our houses with loot.
14Cast your lot with us.
We will all share one bag of money.”
15My son, do not walk along the road with them.
Do not set foot on their path,
16because their feet run to do evil,
and they hurry to shed blood.
17How useless to spread a net in the sight of any bird!
18Yet they set up an ambush for their own blood.
They hide in ambush to take their own lives.
19This is where the path leads for everyone
who is greedy for stolen property:
It takes away the life of those who possess it.
First Poem About Wisdom:
Wisdom Calls but Many Refuse
20Wisdom calls out loudly in the street.
In the public squares she raises her voice.
21At the noisy street corners she calls out.
At the entrances to the city gates she speaks her words:
22“How long will you gullible[] people love being gullible? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing?
How long will fools hate knowledge?
23If you respond to my warning,
I will pour out my spirit for you.
I will make my words known to you.
24Because I called, but you refused to listen,
because I stretched out my hand, but no one paid attention,
25because you ignored all my advice,
and you did not accept my warning,
26therefore I will laugh at your calamity.
I will jeer when terror strikes you,
27when terror strikes you like a violent storm,
when calamity strikes you like a windstorm,
when trouble and distress come upon you.
28Then they will call to me, but I will not answer.
They will look for me, but they will not find me,
29because they hated knowledge,
and they did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30They would not accept my advice,
and they despised all my warnings.
31So they will eat the fruit of their own way,
and they will be stuffed with their own schemes.
32Therefore the wandering ways[] of the gullible kill them, and the complacency of fools destroys them.
33But whoever listens to me will live in safety.
He will be secure, without fear of evil.”