Wise Sayings for Good Use

1 These are the wise sayings of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: ² They show you how to know wisdom and teaching, to find the words of understanding. ³ They help you learn about the ways of wisdom and what is right and fair. ⁴ They give wisdom to the child-like, and much learning and wisdom to those who are young. ⁵ A wise man will hear and grow in learning. A man of understanding will become able ⁶ to understand a saying and a picture-story, the words of the wise and what they mean.

⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of much learning. Fools hate wisdom and teaching.

⁸ Hear your father’s teaching, my son, and do not turn away from your mother’s teaching. ⁹ For they are a glory to your head and a chain of beauty around your neck. ¹⁰ My son, if sinners try to lead you into sin, do not go with them. ¹¹ If they say, “Come with us. Let us lie in wait to kill someone. Let us set a trap for those who are without blame. ¹² Let us swallow them alive like death, as those who go down to the grave. ¹³ We will find all kinds of things of great worth. We will fill our houses with the stolen riches. ¹⁴ Throw in your share with us. We will all have one money bag.”

¹⁵ My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path. ¹⁶ For their feet run to sin and hurry to kill. ¹⁷ Yes, the net is spread for nothing if the bird is watching. ¹⁸ They set traps for their own lives and wait to die. ¹⁹ Such are the ways of all who get things by hurting others. Their desire for stolen riches takes away their own lives.

²⁰ Wisdom calls out in the street. She lifts her voice in the center of town. ²¹ There she cries out in the noisy streets. At the open gates of the city she speaks: ²² “O foolish ones, how long will you love being foolish? How long will those who laugh at others be happy in their laughing? How long will fools hate much learning? ²³ Listen to my strong words! See, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make my words known to you. ²⁴ I called but you would not listen. I put out my hand and no one gave it a thought. ²⁵ You did not listen when I told you what you should do, and you would not hear any of my strong words. ²⁶ So I will laugh at your trouble. I will laugh when you are afraid. ²⁷ Fear will come to you like a storm. Hard times will come like a strong wind. When trouble and suffering come upon you, ²⁸ then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me. ²⁹ Because they hated much learning, and did not choose the fear of the Lord. ³⁰ They would not listen when I told them what they should do. They laughed at all my strong words. ³¹ So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own plans. ³² For the foolish will be killed by their turning away. The trust that fools put in themselves will destroy them. ³³ But he who listens to me will live free from danger, and he will rest easy from the fear of what is sinful.”