Proverbs 2-3
New King James Version
The Value of Wisdom
2 My son, if you receive my words,
And (A)treasure my commands within you,
2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment,
And lift up your voice for understanding,
4 (B)If you seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hidden treasures;
5 (C)Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 (D)For the Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
(E)He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice,
And (F)preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
Equity and every good path.
10 When wisdom enters your heart,
And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you;
(G)Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To (H)walk in the ways of darkness;
14 (I)Who rejoice in doing evil,
And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 (J)Whose ways are crooked,
And who are devious in their paths;
16 To deliver you from (K)the immoral woman,
(L)From the seductress who flatters with her words,
17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.
18 For (M)her house [a]leads down to death,
And her paths to the dead;
19 None who go to her return,
Nor do they [b]regain the paths of life—
20 So you may walk in the way of goodness,
And keep to the paths of righteousness.
21 For the upright will dwell in the (N)land,
And the blameless will remain in it;
22 But the wicked will be [c]cut off from the [d]earth,
And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.
Guidance for the Young
3 My son, do not forget my law,
(O)But let your heart keep my commands;
2 For length of days and long life
And (P)peace they will add to you.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
(Q)Bind them around your neck,
(R)Write them on the tablet of your heart,
4 (S)And so find favor and [e]high esteem
In the sight of God and man.
5 (T)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
(U)And lean not on your own understanding;
6 (V)In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall [f]direct your paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own (W)eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8 It will be health to your [g]flesh,
And (X)strength[h] to your bones.
9 (Y)Honor the Lord with your possessions,
And with the firstfruits of all your increase;
10 (Z)So your barns will be filled with plenty,
And your vats will overflow with new wine.
11 (AA)My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord,
Nor detest His correction;
12 For whom the Lord loves He corrects,
(AB)Just as a father the son in whom he delights.
13 (AC)Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
And the man who gains understanding;
14 (AD)For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver,
And her gain than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
And (AE)all the things you may desire cannot compare with her.
16 (AF)Length of days is in her right hand,
In her left hand riches and honor.
17 (AG)Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is (AH)a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who [i]retain her.
19 (AI)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding He established the heavens;
20 By His knowledge the depths were (AJ)broken up,
And clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes—
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
22 So they will be life to your soul
And grace to your neck.
23 (AK)Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 (AL)Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
27 (AM)Do not withhold good from [j]those to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of your hand to do so.
28 (AN)Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,
For he dwells by you for safety’s sake.
30 (AO)Do not strive with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 (AP)Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord,
(AQ)But His secret counsel is with the upright.
33 (AR)The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But (AS)He blesses the home of the just.
34 (AT)Surely He scorns the scornful,
But gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise shall inherit glory,
But shame shall be the legacy of fools.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:18 sinks
- Proverbs 2:19 Lit. reach
- Proverbs 2:22 destroyed
- Proverbs 2:22 land
- Proverbs 3:4 Lit. good understanding
- Proverbs 3:6 Or make smooth or straight
- Proverbs 3:8 Body, lit. navel
- Proverbs 3:8 Lit. drink
- Proverbs 3:18 hold her fast
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit. its owners
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.