Study Desk

The ^(C1)proverbs of Solomon ^(C2)the son of David, king of Israel:

To know ^(C1)wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of ^(C2)understanding,

To ^(C1)receive instruction in wise behavior, ^(C2)Righteousness, justice, and integrity;

To give ^(C1)prudence to the naive, To the youth ^(C2)knowledge and discretion,

A wise person will hear and ^(C1)increase in learning, And a ^(C2)person of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

To understand a proverb and a saying, The words of the wise and their ^(C1)riddles.

^(C1)The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

^(C1)Listen, my son, to your father's instruction, And ^(C2)do not ignore your mother's teaching;

For they are a ^(C1)graceful wreath for your head And ^(C2)necklaces for your neck.

My son, if sinners ^(C1)entice you, ^(C2)Do not consent.

If they say, "Come with us, Let's ^(C1)lie in wait for blood, Let's ^(C2)ambush the innocent without cause;

Let's ^(C1)swallow them alive like Sheol, Even whole, like those who ^(C2)go down to the pit;

We will find all kinds of precious wealth, We will fill our houses with plunder;

Throw in your lot ^(F1)with us; We will all have one money bag,"

My son, ^(C1)do not walk on the way with them. ^(C2)Keep your feet from their path,

For ^(C1)their feet run to evil, And they are quick to shed blood.

Indeed, it is ^(F1)useless to spread the baited net In the sight of any ^(F2)bird;

But they ^(C1)lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives.

Such are the ways of everyone who ^(C1)makes unjust gain; It takes away the life of its possessors.

^(C1)Wisdom shouts in the street, She ^(F1)raises her voice in the public square;

At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; At the entrance of the gates in the city she declares her sayings:

"How long, you ^(C1)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking? And how long will ^(C2)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools ^(C3)hate knowledge?

-"Turn to my rebuke, Behold, I will ^(C1)pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.

-"Because ^(C1)I called and you ^(C2)refused, I ^(C3)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;

And you ^(C1)neglected all my advice And did not ^(C2)want my rebuke;

I will also ^(C1)laugh at your ^(C2)disaster; I will mock when your ^(C3)dread comes,

When your dread comes like a storm And your disaster comes like a ^(C1)whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you.

-"Then they will ^(C1)call on me, but I will not answer; They will ^(C2)seek me diligently but will not find me,

Because they ^(C1)hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD.

-"They ^(C1)did not accept my advice, They disdainfully rejected every rebuke from me.

-"So they shall ^(C1)eat of the fruit of their own way, And be ^(C2)filled with their own schemes.

-"For the ^(C1)faithlessness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

-"But ^(C1)whoever listens to me will live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil."

My son, if you will ^(C1)receive my words And ^(C2)treasure my commandments within you,

^(C1)Make your ear attentive to wisdom; Incline your heart to understanding.

For if you cry out for insight, And ^(F1)raise your voice for understanding;

If you seek her as ^(C1)silver And search for her as for ^(C2)hidden treasures;

Then you will understand the ^(C1)fear of the LORD, And discover the knowledge of God.

For ^(C1)the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a ^(C1)shield to those who walk in integrity,

Guarding the paths of justice, And He ^(C1)watches over the way of His godly ones.

Then you will discern ^(C1)righteousness, justice, And integrity, and every ^(C2)good path.

For ^(C1)wisdom will enter your heart, And ^(C2)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;

Discretion will ^(C1)watch over you, Understanding will guard you,

To ^(C1)rescue you from the way of evil, From a person who speaks ^(C2)perverse things;

From those who ^(C1)leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ^(C2)ways of darkness;

Who ^(C1)delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil;

Whose paths are ^(C1)crooked, And who are devious in their ways;

To ^(C1)rescue you from the strange woman, From the ^(C2)foreign woman who flatters with her words,

Who leaves the ^(C1)companion of her youth And forgets the ^(C2)covenant of her God;

For ^(C1)her house sinks down to death, And her tracks lead to the ^(F1)dead;

None ^(C1)who go to her return, Nor do they reach the ^(C2)paths of life.

So you will ^(C1)walk in the way of good people And keep to the ^(C2)paths of the righteous.

For ^(C1)the upright will live in the land, And ^(C2)the blameless will remain in it;

But ^(C1)the wicked will be eliminated from the land, And ^(C2)the treacherous will be ^(C3)torn away from it.

My son, ^(C1)do not forget my ^(F1)teaching, But have your heart ^(C2)comply with my commandments;

For ^(C1)length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you.

Do not let ^(C1)kindness and truth leave you; ^(C2)Bind them around your neck, ^(C3)Write them on the tablet of your heart.

So you will ^(C1)find favor and a ^(C2)good ^(F1)reputation In the sight of God and man.

^(C1)Trust in the LORD with all your heart And ^(C2)do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways ^(C1)acknowledge Him, And He will ^(C2)make your paths straight.

^(C1)Do not be wise in your own eyes; ^(C2)Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

It will be ^(C1)healing to your ^(F1)body And ^(C2)refreshment to your bones.

^(C1)Honor the LORD from your wealth, And from the ^(C2)first of all your produce;

Then your ^(C1)barns will be filled with plenty, And your ^(C2)vats will overflow with new wine.

^(C1)My son, do not reject the ^(F1)discipline of the LORD Or loathe His rebuke,

For ^(C1)whom the LORD loves He disciplines, Just ^(C2)as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

^(C1)Blessed is a person who finds wisdom, And one who obtains understanding.

For ^(F1)her ^(C1)profit is better than the profit of silver, And her produce better than gold.

She is ^(C1)more precious than ^(F1)jewels, And nothing you desire compares with her.

^(F1)(C1)Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are ^(C2)riches and honor.

Her ^(C1)ways are pleasant ways, And all her paths are ^(C2)peace.

She is a ^(C1)tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are those who hold on to her.

The LORD founded the earth ^(C1)by wisdom, He ^(C2)established the heavens by understanding.

By His knowledge the ^(C1)ocean depths were burst open, And the ^(C2)clouds drip with dew.

My son, see that ^(C1)they do not escape from your sight; Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,

And they will be ^(C1)life to your soul And ^(C2)adornment to your neck.

Then you will ^(C1)walk in your way securely, And your foot will not ^(C2)stumble.

When you ^(C1)lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

^(C1)Do not be afraid of sudden danger, Nor of ^(C2)trouble from the wicked when it comes;

For the LORD will be ^(F1)your confidence, And will ^(C1)keep your foot from being caught.

^(C1)Do not withhold good from ^(F1)those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.

^(C1)Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it to you," When you have it with you.

^(C1)Do not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you.

^(C1)Do not contend with a person for no reason, If he has done you no harm.

^(C1)Do not envy a violent person, And do not choose any of his ways.

For the ^(C1)devious are an abomination to the LORD; But ^(F1)He is ^(C2)intimate with the upright.

The ^(C1)curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He ^(C2)blesses the home of the righteous.

Though ^(C1)He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet ^(C2)He gives grace to the needy.

^(C1)The wise will inherit honor, But fools ^(F1)increase dishonor.