The Beginning of Knowledge (Proverbs 9:1–12)
1 WBS The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel; BSB BSB: These are the proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel,
2 WBS To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding; BSB BSB: for gaining wisdom and discipline, for comprehending words of insight,
3 WBS To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity; BSB BSB: and for receiving instruction in wise living and in righteousness, justice, and equity.
4 WBS To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. BSB BSB: To impart prudence to the simple and knowledge and discretion to the young,
5 WBS A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels: BSB BSB: let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel
6 WBS To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. BSB BSB: by understanding the proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
7 WBS The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. BSB BSB: The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
The Enticement of Sin 8 WBS My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother: BSB BSB: Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction, and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
9 WBS For they shalt be an ornament of grace to thy head, and chains about thy neck. BSB BSB: For they are a garland of grace on your head and a pendant around your neck.
10 WBS My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. BSB BSB: My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
11 WBS If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause: BSB BSB: If they say, “Come along, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause,
12 WBS Let us swallow them up alive as the grave; and whole, as those that go down into the pit: BSB BSB: let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole like those descending into the Pit.
13 WBS We shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: BSB BSB: We will find all manner of precious goods; we will fill our houses with plunder.
14 WBS Cast in thy lot among us; let us all have one purse: BSB BSB: Throw in your lot with us; let us all share one purse”—
15 WBS My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: BSB BSB: my son, do not walk the road with them or set foot upon their path.
16 WBS For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood. BSB BSB: For their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed blood.
17 WBS Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird. BSB BSB: How futile it is to spread the net where any bird can see it!
18 WBS And they lay wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives. BSB BSB: But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19 WBS So are the ways of every one that is greedy of gain; who taketh away the life of its owners. BSB BSB: Such is the fate of all who are greedy, whose unjust gain takes the lives of its possessors.
Wisdom Calls Aloud 20 WBS Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets: BSB BSB: Wisdom calls out in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 WBS She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying , BSB BSB: in the main concourse she cries aloud, at the city gates she makes her speech:
22 WBS How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? BSB BSB: “How long, O simple ones, will you love your simple ways? How long will scoffers delight in their scorn and fools hate knowledge?
23 WBS Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit to you, I will make known to you my words. BSB BSB: If you had repented at my rebuke, then surely I would have poured out my spirit on you; I would have made my words known to you.
24 WBS Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; BSB BSB: Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand,
25 WBS But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and rejected my reproof: BSB BSB: because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,
26 WBS I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; BSB BSB: in turn I will mock your calamity; I will sneer when terror strikes you,
27 WBS When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. BSB BSB: when your dread comes like a storm, and your destruction like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish overwhelm you.
28 WBS Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: BSB BSB: Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
29 WBS For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: BSB BSB: For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD.
30 WBS They rejected my counsel: they despised all my reproof. BSB BSB: They accepted none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.
31 WBS Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. BSB BSB: So they will eat the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 WBS For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. BSB BSB: For the waywardness of the simple will slay them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 WBS But whoever hearkeneth to me shall dwell in safety, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. BSB BSB: But whoever listens to me will dwell in safety, secure from the fear of evil.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.