Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 1 - New King James Version (2024)

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The Beginning of Knowledge

1The (A)proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

2To know wisdom and instruction,
To [a]perceive the words of understanding,
3To receive the instruction of wisdom,
Justice, judgment, and equity;
4To give prudence to the (B)simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5(C)A wise man will hear and increase learning,
And a man of understanding will [b]attain wise counsel,
6To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (D)riddles.

7(E)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Shun Evil Counsel

8(F)My son, hear the instruction of your father,
And do not forsake the law of your mother;
9For they will be a (G)graceful ornament on your head,
And chains about your neck.

10My son, if sinners entice you,
(H)Do not consent.
11If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (I)lie in wait to shed blood;
Let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
12Let us swallow them alive like [c]Sheol,
And whole, (J)like those who go down to the Pit;
13We shall find all kinds of precious [d]possessions,
We shall fill our houses with [e]spoil;
14Cast in your lot among us,
Let us all have one purse”—
15My son, (K)do not walk in the way with them,
(L)Keep your foot from their path;
16(M)For their feet run to evil,
And they make haste to shed blood.
17Surely, in [f]vain the net is spread
In the sight of any [g]bird;
18But they lie in wait for their own blood,
They lurk secretly for their own lives.
19(N)So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain;
It takes away the life of its owners.

The Call of Wisdom

20(O)Wisdom calls aloud [h]outside;
She raises her voice in the open squares.
21She cries out in the [i]chief concourses,
At the openings of the gates in the city
She speaks her words:
22“How long, you [j]simple ones, will you love [k]simplicity?
For scorners delight in their scorning,
And fools hate knowledge.
23Turn at my rebuke;
Surely (P)I will pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24(Q)Because I have called and you refused,
I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded,
25Because you (R)disdained all my counsel,
And would have none of my rebuke,
26(S)I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when your terror comes,
27When (T)your terror comes like a storm,
And your destruction comes like a whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.

28“Then(U) they will call on me, but I will not answer;
They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me.
29Because they (V)hated knowledge
And did not (W)choose the fear of the Lord,
30(X)They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
31Therefore (Y)they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
32For the [l]turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;
33But whoever listens to me will dwell (Z)safely,
And (AA)will be [m]secure, without fear of evil.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:2 understand or discern
  2. Proverbs 1:5 acquire
  3. Proverbs 1:12 Or the grave
  4. Proverbs 1:13 Lit. wealth
  5. Proverbs 1:13 plunder
  6. Proverbs 1:17 futility
  7. Proverbs 1:17 Lit. lord of the wing
  8. Proverbs 1:20 in the street
  9. Proverbs 1:21 LXX, Syr., Tg. top of the walls; Vg. the head of multitudes
  10. Proverbs 1:22 naive
  11. Proverbs 1:22 naivete
  12. Proverbs 1:32 waywardness
  13. Proverbs 1:33 at ease

Cross references

  1. Proverbs 1:1 : 1 Kin. 4:32; Prov. 10:1; 25:1; Eccl. 12:9
  2. Proverbs 1:4 : Prov. 9:4
  3. Proverbs 1:5 : Prov. 9:9
  4. Proverbs 1:6 : Num. 12:8; Ps. 78:2; Dan. 8:23
  5. Proverbs 1:7 : Job 28:28; Ps. 111:10; Prov. 9:10; 15:33; [Eccl. 12:13]
  6. Proverbs 1:8 : Prov. 4:1
  7. Proverbs 1:9 : Prov. 3:22
  8. Proverbs 1:10 : Gen. 39:7–10; Deut. 13:8; Ps. 50:18; [Eph. 5:11]
  9. Proverbs 1:11 : Prov. 12:6; Jer. 5:26
  10. Proverbs 1:12 : Ps. 28:1
  11. Proverbs 1:15 : Ps. 1:1; Prov. 4:14
  12. Proverbs 1:15 : Ps. 119:101
  13. Proverbs 1:16 : Prov. 6:17, 18; [Is. 59:7]; Rom. 3:15
  14. Proverbs 1:19 : Prov. 15:27; [1 Tim. 6:10]
  15. Proverbs 1:20 : Prov. 8:1; 9:3; [John 7:37]
  16. Proverbs 1:23 : Is. 32:15; Joel 2:28; [John 7:39]
  17. Proverbs 1:24 : Is. 65:12; 66:4; Jer. 7:13; Zech. 7:11
  18. Proverbs 1:25 : Ps. 107:11; Luke 7:30
  19. Proverbs 1:26 : Ps. 2:4
  20. Proverbs 1:27 : [Prov. 10:24, 25]
  21. Proverbs 1:28 : 1 Sam. 8:18; Job 27:9; 35:12; Ps. 18:41; Is. 1:15; Jer. 11:11; 14:12; Ezek. 8:18; Mic. 3:4; Zech. 7:13; [James 4:3]
  22. Proverbs 1:29 : Job 21:14; Prov. 1:22
  23. Proverbs 1:29 : Ps. 119:173
  24. Proverbs 1:30 : Ps. 81:11; Prov. 1:25
  25. Proverbs 1:31 : Job 4:8; Prov. 5:22, 23; 22:8; Is. 3:11; Jer. 6:19
  26. Proverbs 1:33 : Prov. 3:24–26
  27. Proverbs 1:33 : Ps. 112:7
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New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 1 - New King James Version (1)

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Bible Gateway passage: Proverbs 1 - New King James Version (2024)

FAQs

What is the main point of Proverbs 1? ›

Most importantly, this all begins with a reverent respect—"fear"—of the Lord and the rejection of foolish ways. Proverbs 1:8–19 is a warning against foolishness and the allure of sinful behavior. Solomon begins this warning by appealing to his children to honor their parents' teaching.

What are Proverbs trying to teach us? ›

In Proverbs 23:23 we are told to “get wisdom,” and the Proverbs themselves are one of the best places to observe and learn that wisdom. God gave us this book to teach us how to walk in wisdom—that is, how to conduct and regulate our lives. It helps us conform our lives to God's character and standards.

What is the main message of Proverbs? ›

Proverbs reminds us that God concerns Himself not just with the big, cataclysmic events of life but even those mundane, “invisible” moments in our lives as well. Are you following God, even in those seemingly “small” circumstances? Allow Proverbs to refocus your attention on all the hidden moments of your life.

What is Proverbs 1 vs 37? ›

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.

What does fear of the Lord mean in Proverbs 1? ›

In this book, he is warning us to put things in the proper order. The "fear of the Lord" is the beginning: it should hold the chief position, the place of priority in our lives, and then we will obtain knowledge and put it into its proper place.

What is one of the main themes of the book of Proverbs? ›

Living Responsibly under God

The major concern of the book is not to teach about God, but rather to teach how one ought to live a responsible and happy life on earth. Though much of the book contains what might be called secular wisdom, that wisdom is always “under God.”

How can you apply Proverbs in our daily life? ›

Speakers can use proverbs to impart knowledge, offer advice, teach or reinforce morals, make an argument, relieve interpersonal tensions, aid in understanding, or to console or inspire others. Some popular English-language proverbs include: Practice makes perfect.

What is the short summary of the book of Proverbs? ›

The Book of Proverbs assumes that divine revelation is communicated to individuals through careful and correct thinking, as well as through prophetic inspiration. This conception leads to the view that the wise man lives in harmony with the divine will; the fool brings disaster upon himself.

What is Proverbs telling us? ›

The proverbs focus as much on the quirks of human nature as they do on the basic behavior of a righteous person and on man's proper relationship to God. Because the proverbs address such varied topics, a verse in Proverbs often has no connection to the verses before or after it.

What is the prayer for Proverbs 1? ›

Proverbs 1:5 Prays for God's Wisdom

God, help us to be wise. Help up to hear. God, help us to increase in learning. Help us to grow in understanding, and help to receive guidance from you, and in this, help us to walk wisely, to live wisely, to lead wisely today.

What does Proverbs 1:22 mean? ›

Verse 22 clearly states that this—deliberately snubbing wisdom—is exactly what is happening. Wisdom is crying out, but the people ignore her for their own selfish (and foolish) desires. It has been said that there is no such thing as "invincible ignorance." Any lack of knowledge can be overcome.

What does Proverbs 1-3 mean? ›

The Hebrew phrase translated "to receive instruction" is lā qahat mūsar, literally meaning "to teach or cause intelligence." This is the character trait of "learning to learn." That transition occurs through instruction in four character traits: wise dealing, righteousness, justice, and equity.

Who is she in Proverbs 1? ›

Notable in Proverbs and the Wisdom of Solomon (and to a lesser degree in Job and Sirach) is the personification of the concept of wisdom as a woman (here referred to as Woman Wisdom to distinguish the personified figure from the more general use of the term).

What is the main objective of Proverbs? ›

The Proverbs declare and promote the truths of God's wisdom, teaching us how to think biblically. They also teach us how to live a wise life that WILL be pleasing to the Lord and spiritually satisfying to oneself.

What is the first given purpose of the Proverbs? ›

The opening words of the first section establish the purpose for the entire book in very clear terms: “to know wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:2). Remember, in the Hebrew mind, to “know wisdom” is to put instruction into actual practice.

What was Proverbs telling us in? ›

The proverbs focus as much on the quirks of human nature as they do on the basic behavior of a righteous person and on man's proper relationship to God.

References

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