Proverbs 1

King James Version

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; 

2 To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; 

3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; 

4 To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 

5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 

6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. 

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: 

9 For they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck. 

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 

11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: 

12 Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: 

13 We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 

14 Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: 

15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 

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

17 Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. 

18 And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. 

19 So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; which taketh away the life of the owners thereof. 

20 Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: 

21 She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying , 

22 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? 

23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. 

24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; 

25 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 

27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 

28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 

29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 

30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 

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

32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 

33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. 

King James Bible (1769). Public Domain.
Please note the following exceptions for use and publication in the United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press

Proverbs 1

English Standard Version

The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: (1Ki 4:32; Pr 10:1; Pr 25:1; Ec 12:9) 

2 To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, 

3 to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; (Pr 2:9) 

4 to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— (Pr 2:11; Pr 3:21; Pr 8:5; Pr 14:15; Pr 14:18) 

5 Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, (Pr 9:9) 

6 to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles. (Jud 14:12; Ps 78:2; Pr 22:17) 

7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Job 28:28; Pr 9:10; Pr 15:33) 

The Enticement of Sinners

8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching, (Ps 34:11; Pr 6:20; Eph 6:1) 

9 for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck. (Ge 41:42; Pr 3:22; Pr 4:9; Da 5:29) 

10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. (Pr 16:29) 

11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason; (Ps 10:8; Ps 64:5; Pr 1:18; Pr 12:6; Jer 5:26) 

12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; (Nu 16:32; Ps 28:1; Ps 124:3) 

13 we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder; 

14 throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”— 

15 my son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths, (Ps 1:1; Ps 119:101; Pr 4:14; Pr 24:1) 

16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. (Pr 6:18; Isa 59:7; Ro 3:15) 

17 For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, (Job 40:24) 

18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives. (Pr 1:11) 

19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors. (Job 8:13; Pr 15:27; 1Ti 6:10) 

The Call of Wisdom

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; (Pr 8:1; Pr 9:3; Joh 7:37) 

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: (Pr 8:3) 

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? (Job 21:14; Ps 1:1; Pr 1:4; Pr 1:29; Pr 5:12) 

23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. (Joe 2:28; Ac 2:17) 

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded, (Isa 65:12; Isa 66:4; Jer 7:13; Zec 7:11; Ro 10:21) 

25 because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof, (Ps 81:11; Ps 107:11; Lu 7:30) 

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you, (Ps 2:4; Pr 10:24; Jer 48:43; Jer 49:5) 

27 when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. (Zep 1:15) 

28 Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but will not find me. (1Sa 8:18; Job 27:9) 

29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord, (Job 21:14; Pr 1:22) 

30 would have none of my counsel and despised all my reproof, (Pr 1:25) 

31 therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way, and have their fill of their own devices. (Job 4:8; Pr 14:14; Isa 3:11; Jer 6:19) 

32 For the simple are killed by their turning away, and the complacency of fools destroys them; (Ps 73:18; Jer 2:19) 

33 but whoever listens to me will dwell secure and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.” (Ps 25:12; Ps 112:7) 

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