The Value of Proverbs

11 Proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 2 to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding; 3 to receive the instruction of wisdom, righteousness and judgment, and equity; 4 to give prudence to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion. 5 He that is wise will hear, and will increase learning; and the intelligent will gain wise counsels: 6 to understand a proverb and an allegory, the words of the wise and their enigmas.

7 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge: fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Wisdom's Warning

8 Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the teaching of thy mother; 9 for they shall be a garland of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent not. 11 If they say, Come with us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; 12 let us swallow them up alive as Sheol, and whole, as those that go down into the pit; 13 we shall find all precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil: 14 cast in thy lot among us; we will all have one purse: 15 —my son, walk not in the way with them, keep back thy foot from their path; 16 for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. 17 For in vain the net is spread in the sight of anything which hath wings. 18 And these lay wait for their own blood; they lurk secretly for their own lives. 19 So are the paths of every one that is greedy of gain: it taketh away the life of its possessors.

20 Wisdom crieth without; she raiseth her voice in the broadways; 21 she calleth in the chief [place] of concourse, in the entry of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words: 22 How long, simple ones, will ye love simpleness, and scorners take pleasure in their scorning, and the foolish hate knowledge? 23 Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour forth my spirit unto you, I will make known to you my words. 24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one regarded; 25 and ye have rejected all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh in your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 when your fear cometh as sudden destruction, and your calamity cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come upon you: 28 —then will they call upon me, but I will not answer; they will seek me early, and shall not find me. 29 Because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of Jehovah; 30 they would none of my counsel, they despised all my reproof: 31 therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of the foolish shall cause them to perish. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be at rest from fear of evil.

The Reward of Seeking Wisdom

21 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee, 2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding; 3 yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding; 4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures: 5 then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding. 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity; 8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones. 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul, 11 discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee: 12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things; 13 [from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14 who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil; 15 whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course: 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words; 17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God; 18 —for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead; 19 none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life: 20 —that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous. 21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it; 22 but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.

The Collection for the Saints

161 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the assemblies of Galatia, so do ye do also. 2 On [the] first of [the] week let each of you put by at home, laying up [in] whatever [degree] he may have prospered, that there may be no collections when I come. 3 And when I am arrived, whomsoever ye shall approve, these I will send with letters to carry your bounty to Jerusalem: 4 and if it be suitable that I also should go, they shall go with me.

Plans for Travel

5 But I will come to you when I shall have gone through Macedonia; for I do go through Macedonia. 6 But perhaps I will stay with you, or even winter with you, that ye may set me forward wheresoever I may go. 7 For I will not see you now in passing, for I hope to remain a certain time with you, if the Lord permit. 8 But I remain in Ephesus until Pentecost. 9 For a great door is opened to me and an effectual [one], and [the] adversaries many.

10 Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear; for he works the work of the Lord, even as I. 11 Let not therefore any one despise him; but set him forward in peace, that he may come to me; for I expect him with the brethren. 12 Now concerning the brother Apollos, I begged him much that he would go to you with the brethren; but it was not at all [his] will to go now; but he will come when he shall have good opportunity.

Final Greetings

13 Be vigilant; stand fast in the faith; quit yourselves like men; be strong. 14 Let all things ye do be done in love. 15 But I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first-fruits of Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the saints for service,) 16 that ye should also be subject to such, and to every one joined in the work and labouring. 17 But I rejoice in the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus; because they have supplied what was lacking on your part. 18 For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: own therefore such.

19 The assemblies of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla, with the assembly in their house, salute you much in [the] Lord. 20 All the brethren salute you. Salute one another with a holy kiss. 21 The salutation of [me] Paul with my own hand. 22 If any one love not the Lord [Jesus Christ] let him be Anathema Maranatha. 23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you. 24 My love [be] with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.