1 ① These are proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: 22 for you to obtain wisdom and instruction,
to penetrate words of significance, 3to acquire well-ordered knowledge,
and become just with discernment and integrity. 4Simple people will become clever
and the young will acquire understanding and foresight. 5Let the wise man listen: he will add to his learning,
and the man of sound judgment will acquire skill, 6to understand the proverbs and sayings,
the words of the wise and their riddles. 7The beginning of knowledge is the fear of Yahweh,
only fools have contempt for wisdom and discipline.
Avoid the company of evildoers
8Listen, my son, to the teaching of your father, do not ignore your mother’s instruction: 9for they will be your graceful crown, a precious chain around your neck.
10My son, if sinners try to tempt you, do not give in.
11They will invite you, “Come with us, let us spill blood, let us ambush the innocent without a second thought. 12We will engulf them as does the netherworld and snatch them suddenly as does death. 13We will help ourselves to many riches and fill our houses with booty. 14Join forces with us; one purse will be shared between us!”
15My son, do not go with them, do not set foot along their way. 16See how they speed on to evil! How they hasten to spill blood!
17What bird would fall into a trap if you set it up in its sight? 18But these people stalk themselves and set a trap for their own lives. 19Such is the lot of all who live by plunder: plunder will rob them of their own lives.
Listen to me today
20 ② Wisdom shouts aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the market place; 21at street corners she cries; she delivers her speeches at the city gates:
22“You ignorant people, how long will you continue to cling to your foolishness? How long will mockers revel in their mockery, and fools have contempt for knowledge?
23Listen to my warning. I will now pour my spirit upon you and make you know my words.
24Indeed if I cry out and you refuse to listen, if I offer my hand and no one cares, 25if you ignore my advice and reject my warning, 26I, in turn, will laugh at your disaster, I will sneer when terror grips you; 27when terror comes down on you like a hurricane, and distress and anxiety befall you.
28Then people will cry to me but I will not respond. They will seek me but will not find me, 29because they despised knowledge and did not choose the fear of Yahweh; 30they would not listen to any advice and they rejected all my warnings.
31They will harvest the fruit of their evil ways and have their fill of their own designs. 32For the error of the ignorant leads to death, the idleness of fools brings about their ruin.
33But whoever listens to me will feel secure and at ease, without fear of evil.”
- Pro 1,1 From the beginning, people are divided into two groups. On one hand, the wise which includes the intelligent, clever and responsible; on the other hand, the foolish, including also those who are stupid, lying and evil. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of Yahweh. This word fear does not have for us the meaning it had in the Bible. It is not, in fact, a matter of being afraid of God, but to be conscious of acting in his presence and of being responsible to him. Those who fear Yahweh make fidelity and obedience to his word the basis of their decisions. Pro 1,20 An invitation to be converted today. Tomorrow will be too late. Jesus will say the same: Matthew 7:21 and 25:1. Wisdom shouts aloud in the streets. Who will be able to say that no one awakened him and showed him the way? Subhuman conditions of life make a people irresponsible, but irresponsible people also make a subhuman world. All are invited, however, to come out of their passivity. They did not choose the fear of Yahweh. It is easy to excuse oneself: There is no malice on my part; it is a question of negligence. Wisdom rejects these excuses. Negligence is a form of contempt for God.
- Pro 1,1 From the beginning, people are divided into two groups. On one hand, the wise which includes the intelligent, clever and responsible; on the other hand, the foolish, including also those who are stupid, lying and evil. The beginning of knowledge is the fear of Yahweh. This word fear does not have for us the meaning it had in the Bible. It is not, in fact, a matter of being afraid of God, but to be conscious of acting in his presence and of being responsible to him. Those who fear Yahweh make fidelity and obedience to his word the basis of their decisions. Pro 1,20 An invitation to be converted today. Tomorrow will be too late. Jesus will say the same: Matthew 7:21 and 25:1. Wisdom shouts aloud in the streets. Who will be able to say that no one awakened him and showed him the way? Subhuman conditions of life make a people irresponsible, but irresponsible people also make a subhuman world. All are invited, however, to come out of their passivity. They did not choose the fear of Yahweh. It is easy to excuse oneself: There is no malice on my part; it is a question of negligence. Wisdom rejects these excuses. Negligence is a form of contempt for God.
