Bible Verse Lookup
Prov 9,1-5
Chapter 1
Purpose of Proverbs
These are the proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel:
to help you gain wisdom and instruction, to understand meaningful words,
to acquire well-organized knowledge,and become just, with discernment and integrity.
Simple people will become wise, and the young will gain understanding and foresight.
Let the wise listen: they will increase their knowledge, and those of sound judgment will develop skill
to understand proverbs and sayings, the words of the wise, and their riddles.
The beginning of knowledge is fearing the Lord, only fools show contempt for wisdom and discipline.
Advice to Young People
Listen, my son, to your father’s teachings, and do not ignore your mother’s instruction
for they will be your graceful crown, and a precious chain around your neck.
My son, if sinners attempt to tempt you, do not yield.
They will invite you, “Come with us, let us spill blood; let us ambush the innocent without a second thought.
We will engulf them, as does the netherworld, and snatch them suddenly, as does death.
We will help ourselves to many riches and fill our houses with booty.
Join forces with us; one purse will be shared among us!”
My son, stay away from them; do not follow their path.
See how quickly they rush toward evil! How they hurry to shed blood!
What bird would fall into a trap if you set it up in its sight?
But these people trap themselves and lay a trap for their own lives.
Such is the fate of all who live by plunder: their greed will eventually take their lives.
Invitation to Wisdom
Wisdom shouts aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the marketplace;
at street corners she cries out; she delivers her speeches at the city gates:
“You ignorant people, how long will you keep holding onto your foolishness? How long will mockers continue to rejoice in their mockery, and fools dismiss knowledge?
Listen to my warning. I will now pour my spirit on you and make you understand my words.
Indeed if I cry out and you refuse to listen, if I offer my hand and no one cares,
if you ignore my advice and reject my warning,
I will, in turn, laugh at your disaster, I will sneer when terror grips you;
when terror comes down on you like a hurricane, and distress and anxiety befall you.
Then people will cry out to me, but I will not respond. They will seek me but won’t find me,
because they despised knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord;
they refused to listen to any advice and rejected all my warnings.
They will reap the consequences of their evil deeds and indulge in their own schemes.
For the mistakes of the ignorant lead to death, and the laziness of fools causes their downfall.
But whoever listens to me will feel safe and relaxed, without fear of harm.”
Chapter 2
Teacher’s Discourse
My son, if you heed my words and value my commands,
with your ear attentive to wisdom and your heart obedient to understanding;
if you call for perception and raise your voice for insight;
if you seek it as silver and search for it more than any treasure
then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
He reserves his help for the upright and is a shield for those who walk in integrity;
he guards the ways of the just and protects the steps of his faithful.
Then you will understand justice, discernment, and integrity—all of which lead to happiness.
Wisdom will dwell in your heart, and knowledge will bring comfort to your inner self.
Foresight will lead you, and understanding will shield you.
It will protect you from evil, from people who speak misleading words,
from those who have abandoned honesty to walk the paths of darkness;
they rejoice in doing wrong and delight in perversions.
Their paths are crooked, and their ways are deceitful.
Wisdom prevents you from the alien woman, from the stranger with her smooth words,
who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the Covenant of her God.
For her house inclines towards death, her paths towards the grave.
Those who go to her never come back; they do not find their way back to life.
So you will walk along the path of the good, and stay on the ways of the virtuous.
For the honest will inherit the land; the people of integrity will live on it.
The evildoers, on the other hand, will be removed from the land. The wicked will be uprooted from it.
Chapter 3
My son, don’t forget my instruction and commands; keep them in your heart.
For they will bring you long life, years of peace, and happiness.
Let loyalty and kindness never leave you; keep them close to your heart, inscribe them on the tablet of your heart,
so that you may find favor and a good reputation in the eyes of God and people.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Let His presence fill all your ways, and He will keep your foot from the trap.
Don’t see yourself as wise; fear God and stay away from evil.
This will be medicine for your body and relief for your bones.
Honor the Lord by giving him from what you have, the firstfruits of all your produce.
Then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will overflow with wine.
My son, do not scorn the Lord’s discipline or ignore his correction.
For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father does for his beloved son.
Wisdom and Prudence
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom and gains insight.
For she is more valuable than silver and more useful than gold.
She is worth more than pearls; nothing you desire can compare with her.
With her right hand, she offers you a long life; with her left, riches and glory.
She guides you along pleasant paths; all her ways are peaceful.
She is a tree of life for those who embrace her; those who hold her are happy.
It is through his wisdom that the Lord established the earth; by his understanding, he made the heavens firm.
By his knowledge, the depths were carved out, and the clouds dropped dew.
My son, hold onto sound judgment and discretion, and never let them go.
They will bring vitality to your inner self and adorn your neck.
Then you can go your way safely, and your foot will not stumble.
You will have no fear when you lie down, and your sleep will be peaceful.
You will not fear sudden terror or the attack of evildoers.
For the Lord is at your side and he guards your steps against the snare.
Duties Towards One’s Neighbor
Do not hold back from those who ask for your help, when it is in your power to do it so.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go away! Come another time; tomorrow I will give it to you!” when you can help him now.
Do not plot evil against your trusting neighbor,
nor fight a man without cause when he has done you no wrong.
Do not envy a violent man or follow his example.
The Lord hates the wicked but guides those who are honest.
He curses the house of the wrongdoer but blesses the home of the righteous.
If there are mockers, he mocks them in turn, but he shows his favor to the humble.
The wise will keep his honor, while the foolish will inherit shame.
Chapter 4
Tradition
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction and pay attention so that you may gain insight.
For I have given you good principles; do not discard my teaching!
When I was a young boy and my mother looked at me with fondness,
my father taught me and said: Treasure my words in your heart; listen to my directions and you will live.
Gain wisdom and insight, and never forget or dismiss the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake wisdom, for she will safeguard you. Cherish her, and she will be your salvation.
The start of wisdom is working to gain it. At the expense of everything you have, strive to achieve understanding.
Hold her close, for she will lift you up and bring you honor if you embrace her.
She will honor you with grace and place a diadem of splendor on your head.
The Two Paths10Listen, my son, and take my words to heart; doing so will add years to your life.
Because I have taught you the way of wisdom and have guided you along with honest ways,
you will walk with ease and run without falling.
Hold firmly to discipline; never let her go. Guard her carefully, for she is your salvation.
Do not follow the way of the wicked or walk with evildoers.
Avoid them, turn your back on them and pass by.
For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; they cannot rest unless they have caused someone’s downfall.
Wickedness is their bread and violence their wine.
The path of the upright is like the dawn that grows brighter until full daylight.
The way of the wicked is complete darkness, and they do not realize what will cause them to stumble.
The Good Path
My son, pay attention and listen carefully to my words.
Never let them out of your sight, but keep them close to your heart.
For they are life to those who hold onto them and healing for the inner spirit.
Above all, protect your heart, because it is the wellspring of life.
Keep your mouth from lies and let not deceit come from your lips.
Keep your eyes focused on what lies ahead and look straight in front of you.
Test the ground beneath your feet, and all your ways will be secure.
Turn neither to the left nor to the right, and guard your path from evil.
Chapter 5
My son, heed my wisdom and listen to my insights;
remember my counsel and let your lips not depart from this knowledge.
The Prostitute
Know that the adulteress’s lips are sweet as honey and her words smoother than oil,
but the outcome is as bitter as herbs. It is as sharp as a double-edged sword.
Her feet head toward the grave, and her steps lead to death.
She pays no attention to the path of life and wanders without realizing it.
Now then, my son, listen to me and remember my words:
Avoid her and never go near the door of her house,
lest you give away your honor to strangers and your prime years to cruel men,
lest others take your goods and your earnings go to another’s house.
You will complain in the end, when your body and flesh are already devoured and
you will say: “Why did I reject instruction and turn my back on sound advice?
Why did I not listen to the voice of my teachers and follow their counsel?
For I have reached the depths of disgrace in the midst of the whole community.”
Joy of Marriage
Drink, then, from the water of your own cistern, from what flows in your own well.
Don’t waste your fountains elsewhere or in public streets.
They are only for you and not for strangers.
May your fountainhead be blessed, and may you find joy in the wife of your youth,
your beautiful hind and graceful gazelle! May her breasts always be your delight; remain forever in love with her.
My son, why be captivated by an adulteress and embrace a strange woman?
For the Lord watches the ways of men and observes all their paths.
The wicked will be caught in their own evil and remain entangled in the nets of their sin.
He will perish due to a lack of discipline and will be overwhelmed by the growing wave of his own evil.
Chapter 9
Banquet of Wisdom
Wisdom has built her house set upon seven pillars;
she has slaughtered her beasts, prepared her wine and laid her table.
Next, she sent her servants to call from the central square of the city,
“Pass by here, you who are fools.” To the senseless she says,
“Come, eat and drink of the bread and wine I have prepared.
Give up your foolishness and you will live; take the straight path of discernment.”
Addressees
He who corrects a mocker gains insults; and he who reprimands an evildoer receives abuse.
Do not rebuke the mocker lest he hate you, but counsel the wise who will be grateful.
Give to the wise man and he will become wiser each day; teach an upright person and he will increase his wisdom.
Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowing the Holy One brings discernment.
Then I will extend your days and add to your years of life.
If you are wise, your wisdom will benefit you, but if you mock, only you will suffer.
The Banquet of Folly
Lady Foolishness is impetuous, a simpleton who knows nothing.
She sits at the door of her house, on a throne in the center of the city,
to invite all passersby, “Come here, whoever is ignorant.”
To the foolish she says:
“Stolen waters are sweet and pilfered bread is the tastiest.”
But he does not see the Shadow world lying there; nor does he realize that its guests are heading toward the abyss of death.
Commentaries
First Collection.
These initial nine chapters serve as an introduction to the entire book, attributed to the final editor of the work.
Purpose of Proverbs.
As shown in the first seven verses, all human beings, without exception, must seek wisdom as a vital part of their lives. Seen as the highest value, it is similar to a divine revelation that helps humans gain life. People, left to their own devices, need a light to guide them, and wisdom comes to their aid for this purpose.
Advice to Young People.
Like someone teaching a child, the wise instructor warns us about those who try to recruit new members into evil “organizations” through trickery and bad advice.
Invitation to Wisdom.
With the traits of a prophet, personified wisdom calls out in the public square to the foolish, the ignorant, the inexperienced, the reckless, and the insolent, urging them to focus their lives on one key thing: respect for the Lord (29). From the discourse of wisdom, it follows that true wisdom is found in respecting the Lord; such respect essentially means obeying his laws and commands, which is the only way to avoid misfortune. The “storm” and the “hurricane” (27) symbolize a life lived without hope for fulfillment. Knowing how to live well brings peace, calm, and security amid significant troubles. The tone of this proclamation is very similar to that of Jeremiah and, to a lesser extent, that of Isaiah. The goal is not mainly to condemn but to call for righteous judgment, healthy living, and correction before it’s too late (28).
Teacher’s Discourse.
This speech by the teacher of wisdom highlights several elements that show that, although wisdom might seem to result from human effort, it is actually a gift from God that the wise must accept responsibly. In daily life, the wise, as careful and prudent individuals, must maintain judgment about what is right, just, and suitable. This judgment has two immediate practical effects: first, it keeps us from the “wrong path,” preventing us from walking unthinkingly; second, it protects us from the harlot, the prostitute, who here symbolizes the wrong path that doesn’t lead to life. The teacher’s message ultimately encourages practical reflection on wisdom: to walk this path is to walk with God, and only those who follow divine will extend their years. Thus, in the Bible, a long life is seen as a sign of wisdom. It’s reiterated that this wisdom is not gained through personal effort but is a gift from God that the faithful must accept by listening to the Word and applying the Lord’s precepts.
Wisdom and Prudence.
The person who consciously receives the gift of wisdom and applies it is like a prosperous merchant who reaps abundant profits or a leafy tree that provides shelter, security, and life to many others. It offers the great benefit of peace of mind; only those who know how to cultivate wisdom, stay sensible, and remain prudent can live peacefully: they face no obstacles on their path, and their sleep is restful. Both images reflect an inner state—an experience and awareness of walking in accordance with divine will.
Duties Towards One’s Neighbor.
The proper place where wisdom, understood as the “straight path,” resides is undoubtedly the conscience, and the exact point where that walk is carried out with righteousness, sensibility, and wisdom can be none other than one’s neighbor. One’s neighbor will always be the “thermometer” that allows one to measure the state of one’s relationship with God and the progress or regression of one’s actions. On this point, the wisdom tradition and the Deuteronomistic spirit are in agreement. My neighbor is not just any reference point, nor an accident on my path; my neighbor needs me, and I need him as a means of drawing closer to God and as a privileged place where I can put the Lord’s precepts into practice: the Gospel.
Tradition.
The family is the ideal setting for transmitting wisdom. Parents teach their children life principles not just through speech, but mainly through example and concise sayings, maxims, and judgments. Given the external and internal threats facing the Israelites at the time of the book, this family education needs to be strengthened so that outside influences do not mislead young people. This explains the focus on the honor gained through discernment, which touches all areas of human life. Honor and identity are closely connected, and together they form the foundation for ongoing discernment.
The Two Paths.
The two paths discussed in this teaching are: 1. The path of wisdom, which lets a person walk without stumbling. Those who follow this path cannot ignore correction, as wisdom is not gained instantly but through a lifetime of learning. 2. The path described as “the path of the wicked” (14), where people live according to evil. The verbs ‘eat’ and “drink” show how the wicked’s life is fueled only by evil and how they quench their thirst with violence. Both paths have contrasting qualities: the righteous, honest, and wise walk in light, with no fear of stumbling because the truth illuminates everything they do; meanwhile, the wicked walk in darkness, blindly moving forward and unsure of where they might stumble.
The Good Path.
The discussion about the good path as something worth pursuing continues. In the wisdom tradition, the path is viewed as a metaphor for the way of life that believers should strive for and aspire to. In the New Testament, Jesus aligns himself with that path: He is the way that leads to the Father. Jesus’ plan provides us with everything we need to connect with the Father and return to his original plan for life.
The Prostitute.
This passage does not merely warn humans seeking wisdom about relationships with prostitutes. Upon closer examination, the wise man’s advice also addresses relationships with foreign women, reflecting concerns that arose in post-exilic Israel. Jews are encouraged to love their wife wholeheartedly, to have only one, and to choose her from within the Jewish community to avoid two main dangers: 1. In the economic realm, there was a risk that, if the husband died, his estate could fall into foreign hands, potentially leaving the family of the deceased at risk of servitude to a foreigner. 2. From a religious perspective, a non-Jewish wife could introduce the idols of her family into the new household with an Israelite, which was considered abominable in the eyes of the Lord.
Joy of Marriage.
Continuing with the previous theme, the importance of marriage and fidelity to one’s wife in youth is emphasized here. It is well known that during the post-exile period, there were several abuses related to marriage, which is why great emphasis is placed on the faithful husband and, above all, on the one who has chosen his wife from within the same Israelite community.
Banquet of Wisdom.
Wisdom delights in freely offering itself to those who lack it. The description of the house of wisdom and the banquet it hosts appears to reference the Temple and the ritual banquets or sacred meals that are part of the Jewish religion’s daily practices. In any case, the purpose of these verses is to demonstrate the gratuitous nature with which wisdom is given to everyone.
Addressees.
These verses highlight the types of people the wise man often encounters: the proud and the wicked. Sensibility or prudence gladly accepts correction, but those who do not walk the path of wisdom respond violently to correction. One might think that those on the wrong path are beyond help and not worth correcting; however, we know that human beings are not predestined to be good or evil. Clearly, we were created for good, but it is up to us to choose which path to follow. This means we must always stay open to correcting our course and recognize that we will continually need help and guidance in exercising our freedom.
The Banquet of Folly.
The opposite of wisdom, in this case, foolishness or folly, also manifests as a living force that presents itself to people as an alternative or way of life, but it is a caricature of wisdom. It uses similar words and scenarios to “seduce” humans, but while true wisdom offers life, foolishness or stupidity can only lead to death.