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Proverbs 1
Evangelical Heritage Version
Proverbs 1
Evangelical Heritage Version
The Superscription
1 The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel.
The Purpose of Proverbs
2 To learn wisdom and discipline,
to understand sayings[a] that give insight,[b]
3 to acquire discipline to act sensibly,
to acquire righteousness, justice, and fairness,
4 to give good judgment[c] to the inexperienced,
to give a young man knowledge and foresight.
5 A wise person should listen, and he will increase learning.
A person with understanding should obtain guidance
6 so he will understand proverbs, puzzling statements,[d]
and the thought-provoking words of the wise.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of[e] knowledge,
but stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.
Solomon’s Speeches About Wisdom
First Address to a Son:
Avoid the Company of Sinners
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s discipline,
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching,
9 because they are a garland of grace for your head.
They are jewelry for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners lure you,
do not go along with them.
11 If they say,
“Come with us.
Let’s lie in wait to shed blood.
Let’s hide and ambush an innocent person for no reason.
12 We will swallow them alive like the grave.
We will swallow them whole
like those who go down to the pit.
13 We will find all kinds of wealth and treasure.
We will fill our houses with loot.
14 Cast your lot with us.
We will all share one bag of money.”
15 My son, do not walk along the road with them.
Do not set foot on their path,
16 because their feet run to do evil,
and they hurry to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net in the sight of any bird!
18 Yet they set up an ambush for their own blood.
They hide in ambush to take their own lives.
19 This 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
20 Wisdom calls out loudly in the street.
In the public squares she raises her voice.
21 At the noisy street corners she calls out.
At the entrances to the city gates she speaks her words:
22 “How long will you gullible[f] people love being gullible?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing?
How long will fools hate knowledge?
23 If you respond to my warning,
I will pour out my spirit for you.
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because I called, but you refused to listen,
because I stretched out my hand, but no one paid attention,
25 because you ignored all my advice,
and you did not accept my warning,
26 therefore I will laugh at your calamity.
I will jeer when terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like a violent storm,
when calamity strikes you like a windstorm,
when trouble and distress come upon you.
28 Then they will call to me, but I will not answer.
They will look for me, but they will not find me,
29 because they hated knowledge,
and they did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 They would not accept my advice,
and they despised all my warnings.
31 So they will eat the fruit of their own way,
and they will be stuffed with their own schemes.
32 Therefore the wandering ways[g] of the gullible kill them,
and the complacency of fools destroys them.
33 But whoever listens to me will live in safety.
He will be secure, without fear of evil.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:2 Or axioms
- Proverbs 1:2 Or discernment
- Proverbs 1:4 Or prudence
- Proverbs 1:6 Or enigmas
- Proverbs 1:7 Or prerequisite for or most important part of
- Proverbs 1:22 Or naïve
- Proverbs 1:32 Or apostasy
Proverbs 1
New International Version
Proverbs 1
New International Version
Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs(A) of Solomon(B) son of David, king of Israel:(C)
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,[a](D)
knowledge and discretion(E) to the young—
5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,(F)
and let the discerning get guidance—
6 for understanding proverbs and parables,(G)
the sayings and riddles(H) of the wise.[b](I)
7 The fear of the Lord(J) is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools[c] despise wisdom(K) and instruction.(L)
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8 Listen, my son,(M) to your father’s(N) instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(O)
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.(P)
10 My son, if sinful men entice(Q) you,
do not give in(R) to them.(S)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait(T) for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow(U) them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(V)
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(W)”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot(X) on their paths;(Y)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(Z)
they are swift to shed blood.(AA)
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(AB) for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!(AC)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.(AD)
Wisdom’s Rebuke
20 Out in the open wisdom calls aloud,(AE)
she raises her voice in the public square;
21 on top of the wall[d] she cries out,
at the city gate she makes her speech:
22 “How long will you who are simple(AF) love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate(AG) 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(AH) to listen when I call(AI)
and no one pays attention(AJ) 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(AK) when disaster(AL) strikes you;
I will mock(AM) when calamity overtakes you(AN)—
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster(AO) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.
28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(AP)
they will look for me but will not find me,(AQ)
29 since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the Lord.(AR)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,(AS)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(AT)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(AU)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(AV)
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”(AW)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.
- Proverbs 1:6 Or understanding a proverb, namely, a parable, / and the sayings of the wise, their riddles
- Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.
- Proverbs 1:21 Septuagint; Hebrew / at noisy street corners
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.