Proverbs 1:7-19

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

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men 8Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

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

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

11If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for innocent blood, let’s ambush some harmless soul;

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

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

14cast lots with us; we will all share the loot”—

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

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

17How useless to spread a net where every bird can see it!

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

19Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it.