Proverbs 1

1These are the wise sayings of Solomon. Solomon was the son of David, and Solomon was king of Israel.

2Wise Lessons for Life will help you learn to be wise, to accept correction, and to understand wise sayings.

3Wise Lessons for Life will teach you to develop your mind in the right way. You will learn to do what is right and to be honest and fair

4Wise Lessons for Life teach people who know very little to be wise. They will teach young people what they need to know and how to use what they have learned

5A wise person will listen and gain more learning. A person with understanding will get good guidance.

6These Wise Lessons for Life will help you understand wise sayings and what they mean, the words of wise people, and the hidden meaning behind their sayings.

7Respecting the LORD is where knowledge begins. But foolish people look down on wisdom and discipline.

8Son, listen to your father's instruction, and do not abandon your mother's teaching.

9Your father's instruction and your mother's teaching will be like a beautiful wreath on your head, like a fine necklace around your neck.

10My son, if sinners try to lure you into sin, do not go along with them.

11If they say: Come with us, let us hide and wait to attack someone and spill blood. Let us hide and ambush an innocent person for no reason.

12Let us swallow them alive, like the grave swallows people. Let us swallow them whole, like those who go down into the pit.

13We will find all kinds of valuable things, and we will fill our houses with what we have taken.

14Join us and share what we get. We will all share one moneybag together.

15My son, do not walk in the same path with them. Keep your feet away from their path.

16Their feet run to do evil, and they hurry to spill blood.

17It is useless to spread a net where a bird can see it.

18But these men hide and wait to ambush their own blood. They hide to attack their own lives.

19This is what happens to everyone who is greedy for unfair gain. It takes away the life of the person who has it.

20Wisdom calls out loudly in the street. Wisdom raises her voice in the public square.

21Wisdom cries out at the noisy street corners, at the entrance of the city gates. Wisdom says:

22How long will you simple people love being simple? How long will mockers enjoy mocking, and fools hate knowledge?

23Turn and listen when I correct you. I will pour out my thoughts to you. I will make my words known to you.

24I called you, but you refused to listen. I reached out my hand, but no one paid attention.

25You ignored all my advice, and you did not want my correction.

26So I will laugh when trouble comes to you. I will make fun of you when terror strikes you —

27when terror comes on you like a storm, and trouble comes on you like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.

28Then they will call out to me, but I will not answer. They will look for me, but they will not find me.

29This is because they hated knowledge, and they did not choose to respect the LORD.

30They did not want my advice, and they rejected all my correction.

31So they will eat the fruit of the way they chose to live, and they will be filled with the results of their own plans.

32The simple people will be killed because they turn away, and foolish people will be destroyed because they feel safe and satisfied.

33But whoever listens to me will live safely and will be at peace, without fear of harm.