Proverbs 1 - NKJV Bible Online

Proverbs 1

« Psalm 150Prov 1Prov 2 »

The Beginning of Knowledge

The ^aproverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

2

To know wisdom and instruction,

To ¹perceive the words of understanding,

To receive the instruction of wisdom,

Justice, judgment, and equity;

To give prudence to the ^asimple,

To the young man knowledge and discretion—

^aA wise man will hear and increase learning,

And a man of understanding will ¹attain wise counsel,

To understand a proverb and an enigma,

The words of the wise and their ^ariddles.

^aThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,

But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel

^aMy son, hear the instruction of your father,

And do not forsake the law of your mother;

For they will be a ^agraceful ornament on your head,

And chains about your neck.

My son, if sinners entice you,

^aDo not consent.

If they say, “Come with us,

Let us ^alie in wait to shed blood;

Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

Let us swallow them alive like ¹Sheol,

And whole, ^alike those who go down to the Pit;

We shall find all kinds of precious ¹possessions,

We shall fill our houses with ²spoil;

Cast in your lot among us,

Let us all have one purse”—

My son, ^ado not walk in the way with them,

^bKeep your foot from their path;

^aFor their feet run to evil,

And they make haste to shed blood.

Surely, in ¹vain the net is spread

In the sight of any ²bird;

But they lie in wait for their own blood,

They lurk secretly for their own lives.

^aSo are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;

It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom

^aWisdom calls aloud ¹outside;

She raises her voice in the open squares.

She cries out in the ¹chief concourses,

At the openings of the gates in the city

She speaks her words:

“How long, you ¹simple ones, will you love ²simplicity?

For scorners delight in their scorning,

And fools hate knowledge.

Turn at my rebuke;

Surely ^aI will pour out my spirit on you;

I will make my words known to you.

^aBecause I have called and you refused,

I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,

Because you ^adisdained all my counsel,

And would have none of my rebuke,

^aI also will laugh at your calamity;

I will mock when your terror comes,

When ^ayour terror comes like a storm,

And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,

When distress and anguish come upon you.

“Then^a they will call on me, but I will not answer;

They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.

Because they ^ahated knowledge

And did not ^bchoose the fear of the Lord,

^aThey would have none of my counsel

And despised my every rebuke.

Therefore ^athey shall eat the fruit of their own way,

And be filled to the full with their own fancies.

For the ¹turning away of the simple will slay them,

And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

But whoever listens to me will dwell ^asafely,

And ^bwill be ¹secure, without fear of evil.”

« Psalm 150Prov 1Prov 2 »