Font Size
Proverbs 1:8-19
New King James Version
Proverbs 1:8-19
New King James Version
Shun Evil Counsel
8 (A)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9 For they will be a (B)graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
(C)Do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (D)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like [a]Sheol,
And whole, (E)like those who go down to the Pit;
13 We shall find all kinds of precious [b]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [c]spoil;
14 Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15 My son, (F)do not walk in the way with them,
(G)Keep your foot from their path;
16 (H)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17 Surely, in [d]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [e]bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19 (I)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
- Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
- Proverbs 1:13 plunder
- Proverbs 1:17 futility
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing
Proverbs 1:8-19
New International Version
Proverbs 1:8-19
New International Version
Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom
Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men
8 Listen, my son,(A) to your father’s(B) instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(C)
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.(D)
10 My son, if sinful men entice(E) you,
do not give in(F) to them.(G)
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait(H) for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow(I) them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;(J)
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(K)”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot(L) on their paths;(M)
16 for their feet rush into evil,(N)
they are swift to shed blood.(O)
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait(P) for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!(Q)
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.(R)
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. 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.