2for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;

3for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;

4for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young—

5let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance—

6for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but foolsThe Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote one who is morally deficient. despise wisdom and discipline.

9They will be a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.

10My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them.

11If they say, “Come along with us;
let's lie in wait for someone's blood,
let's waylay some harmless soul;

12let's swallow them alive, like the grave,Hebrew Sheol
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;

13we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;

14throw in your lot with us,
and we will share a common purse”—

15my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;

16for their feet rush into sin,
they are swift to shed blood.

17How useless to spread a net
in full view of all the birds!

18These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they waylay only themselves!

19Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the lives of those who get it.

21at the head of the noisy streetsHebrew; Septuagint / on the tops of the walls she cries out,
in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:

22“How long will you simple onesThe Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs generally denotes one without moral direction and inclined to evil. love your simple ways?
How long will mockers delight in mockery
and fools hate knowledge?

23If you had responded to my rebuke,
I would have poured out my heart to you
and made my thoughts known to you.

24But since you rejected me when I called
and no one gave heed when I stretched out my hand,

25since you ignored all my advice
and would not accept my rebuke,

26I in turn will laugh at your disaster;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you—

27when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
when disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28“Then they will call to me but I will not answer;
they will look for me but will not find me.

29Since they hated knowledge
and did not choose to fear the LORD,

30since they would not accept my advice
and spurned my rebuke,

31they will eat the fruit of their ways
and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
and the complacency of fools will destroy them;

33but whoever listens to me will live in safety
and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

2turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,

3and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,

4and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,

5then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.

6For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,