Proverbs 1:1-17

New King James Version

The Beginning of Knowledge

1 The ^(A)proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

²To know wisdom and instruction,
To ^[a]perceive the words of understanding,
³To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
⁴To give prudence to the ^(B)simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
⁵^(C)A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will ^[b]attain wise counsel,
⁶To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their ^(D)riddles.

⁷^(E)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel

⁸^(F)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
⁹For they will be a ^(G)graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you,
^(H)Do not consent.
¹¹If they say, “Come with us,
Let us ^(I)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
¹²Let us swallow them alive like ^[c]Sheol,
And whole, ^(J)like those who go down to the Pit;
¹³We shall find all kinds of precious ^[d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with ^[e]spoil;
¹⁴Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
¹⁵My son, ^(K)do not walk in the way with them,
^(L)Keep your foot from their path;
¹⁶^(M)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
¹⁷Surely, in ^[f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any ^[g]bird;