Proverbs 4:5-9

4:5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding;

do not forget and do not turn aside from the words I speak.

4:6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will guard you.

4:7 Wisdom is supreme – so acquire wisdom,

and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding!

4:8 Esteem her highly and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her.

4:9 She will place a fair garland on your head;

she will bestow a beautiful crown on you.”

Proverbs 8:32-35

8:32 “So now, children, listen to me;

blessed are those who keep my ways.

8:33 Listen to my instruction so that you may be wise,

and do not neglect it.

8:34 Blessed is the one who listens to me,

watching at my doors day by day,

waiting beside my doorway.

8:35 For the one who finds me finds life

and receives favor from the Lord.

Proverbs 8:1

The Appeal of Wisdom

8:1 Does not wisdom call out?

Does not understanding raise her voice?

Proverbs 10:1-9

The First Collection of Solomonic Proverbs

10:1 The Proverbs of Solomon:

A wise child makes a father rejoice,

but a foolish child is a grief to his mother.

10:2 Treasures gained by wickedness do not profit,

but righteousness delivers from mortal danger.

10:3 The Lord satisfies the appetite of the righteous,

but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

10:4 The one who is lazy becomes poor,

but the one who works diligently becomes wealthy.

10:5 The one who gathers crops in the summer is a wise son,

but the one who sleeps during the harvest

is a son who brings shame to himself.

10:6 Blessings are on the head of the righteous,

but the speech of the wicked conceals violence.

10:7 The memory of the righteous is a blessing,

but the reputation of the wicked will rot.

10:8 The wise person accepts instructions,

but the one who speaks foolishness will come to ruin.

10:9 The one who conducts himself in integrity will live securely,

but the one who behaves perversely will be found out.

Proverbs 10:23-24

10:23 Carrying out a wicked scheme is enjoyable to a fool,

and so is wisdom for the one who has discernment.

10:24 What the wicked fears will come on him;

what the righteous desire will be granted.

Ecclesiastes 9:15-18

9:15 However, a poor but wise man lived in the city,

and he could have delivered the city by his wisdom,

but no one listened to that poor man.

9:16 So I concluded that wisdom is better than might,

but a poor man’s wisdom is despised; no one ever listens to his advice.

Wisdom versus Fools, Sin, and Folly

9:17 The words of the wise are heard in quiet,

more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among fools.

9:18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war,

but one sinner can destroy much that is good.