Proverbs 1
Young's Literal Translation
1 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 For knowing wisdom and instruction, For understanding sayings of intelligence,
3 For receiving the instruction of wisdom, Righteousness, judgment, and uprightness,
4 For giving to simple ones -- prudence, To a youth -- knowledge and discretion.
5 (The wise doth hear and increaseth learning, And the intelligent doth obtain counsels.)
6 For understanding a proverb and its sweetness, Words of the wise and their acute sayings.
7 Fear of Jehovah [is] a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,
9 For a graceful wreath [are] they to thy head, And chains to thy neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.
11 If they say, `Come with us, we lay wait for blood, We watch secretly for the innocent without cause,
12 We swallow them as Sheol -- alive, And whole -- as those going down [to] the pit,
13 Every precious substance we find, We fill our houses [with] spoil,
14 Thy lot thou dost cast among us, One purse is -- to all of us.'
15 My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,
16 For their feet to evil do run, And they haste to shed blood.
17 Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.
18 And they for their own blood lay wait, They watch secretly for their own lives.
19 So [are] the paths of every gainer of dishonest gain, The life of its owners it taketh.
20 Wisdom in an out-place crieth aloud, In broad places she giveth forth her voice,
21 At the head of the multitudes she calleth, In the openings of the gates, In the city her sayings she saith:
22 `Till when, ye simple, do ye love simplicity? And have scorners their scorning desired? And do fools hate knowledge?
23 Turn back at my reproof, lo, I pour forth to you my spirit, I make known my words with you.
24 Because I have called, and ye refuse, I stretched out my hand, and none is attending,
25 And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.
26 I also in your calamity do laugh, I deride when your fear cometh,
27 When your fear cometh as destruction, And your calamity as a hurricane doth come, When on you come adversity and distress.
28 Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.
29 Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.
30 They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,
31 And they eat of the fruit of their way, And from their own counsels they are filled.
32 For the turning of the simple slayeth them, And the security of the foolish destroyeth them.
33 And whoso is hearkening to me dwelleth confidently, And [is] quiet from fear of evil!'
Proverbs 1
English Standard Version
The Beginning of Knowledge
1 (A)The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction,
to understand words of insight,
3 to receive instruction in wise dealing,
in (B)righteousness, justice, and equity;
4 to give prudence to (C)the simple,
knowledge and (D)discretion to the youth—
5 Let the wise hear and (E)increase in learning,
and the one who understands obtain guidance,
6 to understand a proverb and a saying,
(F)the words of the wise and their (G)riddles.
7 (H)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (I)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
and forsake not your mother's teaching,
9 for they are (J)a graceful garland for your head
and (K)pendants for your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (L)entice you,
do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, (M)let us lie in wait for blood;
(N)let us ambush the innocent without reason;
12 like Sheol let us (O)swallow them alive,
and whole, like (P)those who go down to the pit;
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, (Q)do not walk in the way with them;
(R)hold back your foot from their paths,
16 for (S)their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
17 (T)For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
18 but these men (U)lie in wait for their own blood;
they (V)set an ambush for their own lives.
19 (W)Such are the ways of everyone who is (X)greedy for unjust gain;
(Y)it takes away the life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (Z)Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at (AA)the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
22 “How long, O (AB)simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will (AC)scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools (AD)hate knowledge?
23 If you turn at my reproof,[a]
behold, I will (AE)pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 (AF)Because I have called and (AG)you refused to listen,
have (AH)stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have (AI)ignored all my counsel
and (AJ)would have none of my reproof,
26 I also (AK)will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when (AL)terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like (AM)a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 (AN)Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they (AO)hated knowledge
and (AP)did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (AQ)would have none of my counsel
and (AR)despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat (AS)the fruit of their way,
and have (AT)their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by (AU)their turning away,
and (AV)the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but (AW)whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be (AX)at ease, without dread of disaster.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:23 Or Will you turn away at my reproof?
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
