Proverbs 1:8-19
8 Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction
and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
9 They are a garland to grace your head
and a chain to adorn your neck.
10 My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them.
11 If they say, “Come along with us;
let’s lie in wait for innocent blood,
let’s ambush some harmless soul;
12 let’s swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 cast lots with us;
we will all share the loot”—
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into evil,
they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net
where every bird can see it!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it.
Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL
VERSION ®. NIV®. COPYRIGHT © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by
Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Discussion Questions
- Have you ever done something selfish that harmed someone else? Why do you think you did that?
- Why is it so easy to be so selfish?
- Why is the fool’s invitation so appealing?
- In what areas of life are you most likely to take them up on the offer?
- According to proverbs (and the rest of the Bible), what happens to people who go this way?
- We’re told that if we learn from wisdom, it’ll be like a crown and a necklace (beautiful). What do you think it means to behave beautifully?
- How does Jesus help us better understand and appreciate this beautiful way of wisdom?