The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, to discern the sayings of understanding,
3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity;
4 To give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.
3 To receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity;
4 To give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion,
5 A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching;
9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with spoil;
14 Throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse,”
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors.
9 Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.
11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let us swallow them alive like Sheol, even whole, as those who go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth, we will fill our houses with spoil;
14 Throw in your lot with us, we shall all have one purse,”
15 My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path,
16 For their feet run to evil and they hasten to shed blood.
17 Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of any bird;
18 But they lie in wait for their own blood; they ambush their own lives.
19 So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; it takes away the life of its possessors.
20 Wisdom shouts in the street, she lifts her voice in the square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
23 “Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof;
26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me,
29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 “They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof.
31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices.
32 “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
21 At the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22 “How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge?
23 “Turn to my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.
24 “Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you neglected all my counsel and did not want my reproof;
26 I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 “Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will seek me diligently but they will not find me,
29 Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord.
30 “They would not accept my counsel, they spurned all my reproof.
31 “So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way and be satiated with their own devices.
32 “For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 “But he who listens to me shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
Reminder: "praying effectively" involves knowing God's will. When we pray in His will (in His name), He may choose to not answer those prayers in the time period that we would like, or HOW we would like - but He will answer those prayers!
It is God's will:
- that we hear and increase in learning and seek out wise counsel (1:5)
- that we fear the Lord (1:7)
- that we hear and remember our parent's instructions and teaching (1:8)
- that we do not fall into agreement with sinful behavior (1:10)
- that we do not allow ourselves to be influenced or participate in sinful behavior (1:15)
- that we turn to God's reproof and allow Him to lead us by His Holy Spirit (1:23)
Today's prayer:
Dear heavenly Father, thank You for giving me godly parents who taught me to fear and love You, not only through their words but through their actions. Thank You for giving us Your word, the Bible, so that we may use this as our GPS!!! As our instruction manual for life!!! Your eternal wisdom is perfect and always works!!! Help me to be more attuned to the leading of Your Holy Spirit.
Protect me from evil. Make it obvious to me if I ever start to hang out with the wrong people who might influence me to sin. Help me to quickly recognize when I'm going down the wrong path. Bring wise and righteous friends into our lives; friends who will love us and not be afraid to challenge us. Correct my ways and direct my decision making so that I might be a godly example to my children, and to those around me. Amen.
