Proverbs 1:1-7 - Prologue

¹ The Proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ² To learn wisdom and moral instruction, and to discern wise counsel. ³ To receive moral instruction in skillful living, in righteousness, justice, and equity. ⁴ To impart shrewdness to the morally naive, and a discerning plan to the young person. ⁵ (Let the wise also hear and gain instruction, and let the discerning acquire guidance!) ⁶ To discern the meaning of a proverb and a parable, the sayings of the wise and their riddles.

⁷ Fearing the Lord is the beginning of moral knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

¹ The words of the Teacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:

¹ This is what we proclaim to you: what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life -- ² and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us). ³ What we have seen and heard we announce to you too, so that you may have fellowship with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). ⁴ Thus we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

¹ The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must happen very soon. He made it clear by sending his angel to his servant John, ² who then testified to everything that he saw concerning the word of God and the testimony about Jesus Christ. ³ Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy aloud, and blessed are those who hear and obey the things written in it, because the time is near!