The Book of Proverbs, often attributed to King Solomon, is a collection of wise sayings and teachings that offer practical insights for daily living. Written in a poetic and instructional style, Proverbs addresses various aspects of human behavior, relationships, and morality. It emphasizes the pursuit of wisdom, the fear of the Lord as the foundation of knowledge, and the value of virtuous living. The opening chapters set the tone for the entire book, encouraging readers to seek understanding, discernment, and righteousness in their lives. The verses from Proverbs provide timeless guidance, serving as a source of wisdom for those navigating the complexities of existence.
Proverbs 1: The Beginning of Knowledge
[1:1] The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
[1:2] To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,
[1:3] to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;
[1:4] to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth—
[1:5] Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,
[1:6] to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.
[1:7] The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
[1:8] Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
[1:9] for they are a graceful garland for your head and pendants for your neck.
[1:10] My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
[1:11] If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood; let us ambush the innocent without reason;
[1:12] like Sheol let us swallow them alive, and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
[1:13] we shall find all precious goods, we shall fill our houses with plunder;
[1:14] throw in your lot among us; we will all have one purse”—
[1:15] My son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths,
[1:16] for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
[1:17] For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird,
[1:18] but these men lie in wait for their own blood; they set an ambush for their own lives.
[1:19] Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.
Proverbs 2: The Value of Wisdom
[2:1] My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
[2:2] making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
[2:3] yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,
[2:4] if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures,
[2:5] then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
[2:6] For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
[2:7] he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
[2:8] guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.
[2:9] Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;
[2:10] for wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
[2:11] discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you,
[2:12] delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,
[2:13] who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,
[2:14] who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,
[2:15] men whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
[2:16] So you will be delivered from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words,
[2:17] who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God;
[2:18] for her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the departed;
[2:19] none who go to her come back, nor do they regain the paths of life.
[2:20] So you will walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
[2:21] For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,
[2:22] but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
The Book of Proverbs provides profound guidance for those seeking wisdom and a righteous path in life. These introductory verses set the stage for the exploration of practical insights and moral teachings found throughout the book.