Proverbs 2-4

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

2 My son, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you,

² Making your ear attentive to skillful and godly ^[a]Wisdom and inclining and directing your heart and mind to understanding [applying all your powers to the quest for it];

³ Yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,

⁴ If you seek [Wisdom] as for silver and search for skillful and godly Wisdom as for hidden treasures,

⁵ Then you will understand the reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of [our omniscient] God.^(A)

⁶ For the Lord gives skillful and godly Wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

⁷ He hides away sound and godly Wisdom and stores it for the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him); He is a shield to those who walk uprightly and in integrity,

⁸ That He may guard the paths of justice; yes, He preserves the way of His saints.^(B)

⁹ Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and fair dealing [in every area and relation]; yes, you will understand every good path.

¹⁰ For skillful and godly Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to you.

¹¹ Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you,

¹² To deliver you from the way of evil and the evil men, from men who speak perverse things and are liars,

¹³ Men who forsake the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,

¹⁴ Who rejoice to do evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,

¹⁵ Who are crooked in their ways, wayward and devious in their paths.

¹⁶ [Discretion shall watch over you, understanding shall keep you] to deliver you from the alien woman, from the outsider with her flattering words,^(C)

¹⁷ Who forsakes the husband and guide of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

¹⁸ For her house sinks down to death and her paths to the spirits [of the dead].

¹⁹ None who go to her return again, neither do they attain or regain the paths of life.

²⁰ So may you walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the [consistently] righteous (the upright, in right standing with God).

²¹ For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the men of integrity, blameless and complete [in God’s sight], shall remain in it;

²² But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.

3 My son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;

² For length of days and years of a life [worth living] and tranquility [inward and outward and continuing through old age till death], these shall they add to you.

³ Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.^(D)

⁴ So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight [or judgment] of God and man.^(E)

⁵ Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

⁶ In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

⁷ Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.^(F)

⁸ It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.

⁹ Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income;^(G)

¹⁰ So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.^(H)

¹¹ My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord [His correction by punishment or by subjection to suffering or trial]; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof,^(I)

¹² For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

¹³ Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding [drawing it forth from God’s Word and life’s experiences],

¹⁴ For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold.

¹⁵ Skillful and godly ^[b]Wisdom is more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her.^(J)

¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor.^(K)

¹⁷ Her ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast.

¹⁹ The Lord by skillful and godly Wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding He has established the heavens.^(L)

²⁰ By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies distill the dew.

²¹ My son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound and godly Wisdom and discretion,

²² And they will be life to your inner self, and a gracious ornament to your neck (your outer self).

²³ Then you will walk in your way securely and in confident trust, and you shall not dash your foot or stumble.^(M)

²⁴ When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.

²⁵ Be not afraid of sudden terror and panic, nor of the stormy blast or the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes [for you will be guiltless],

²⁶ For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught [in a trap or some hidden danger].

²⁷ Withhold not good from those to whom it is due [its rightful owners], when it is in the power of your hand to do it.^(N)

²⁸ Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it—when you have it with you.^(O)

²⁹ Do not contrive or dig up or cultivate evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly and confidently beside you.

³⁰ Contend not with a man for no reason—when he has done you no wrong.^(P)

³¹ Do not resentfully envy and be jealous of an unscrupulous, grasping man, and choose none of his ways.^(Q)

³² For the perverse are an abomination [extremely disgusting and detestable] to the Lord; but His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the [uncompromisingly] righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him).^(R)

³³ The curse of the Lord is in and on the house of the wicked, but He declares blessed (joyful and favored with blessings) the home of the just and consistently righteous.^(S)

³⁴ Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet He gives His undeserved favor to the low [in rank], the humble, and the afflicted.^(T)

³⁵ The wise shall inherit glory (all honor and good) but shame is the highest rank conferred on [self-confident] fools.^(U)

4 Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, and pay attention in order to gain and to know intelligent discernment, comprehension, and interpretation [of spiritual matters].

² For I give you good doctrine [what is to be received]; do not forsake my teaching.

³ When I [Solomon] was a son with my father [David], tender and the only son in the sight of my mother [Bathsheba],

⁴ He taught me and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments and live.^(V)

⁵ Get skillful and godly Wisdom, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation); do not forget and do not turn back from the words of my mouth.

⁶ Forsake not [Wisdom], and she will keep, defend, and protect you; love her, and she will guard you.

⁷ The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation).^(W)

⁸ Prize Wisdom highly and exalt her, and she will exalt and promote you; she will bring you to honor when you embrace her.

⁹ She shall give to your head a wreath of gracefulness; a crown of beauty and glory will she deliver to you.

¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life shall be many.

¹¹ I have taught you in the way of skillful and godly Wisdom [which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God]; I have led you in paths of uprightness.

¹² When you walk, your steps shall not be hampered [your path will be clear and open]; and when you run, you shall not stumble.

¹³ Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.

¹⁴ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

¹⁵ Avoid it, do not go on it; turn from it and pass on.

¹⁶ For they cannot sleep unless they have caused trouble or vexation; their sleep is taken away unless they have caused someone to fall.

¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ But the path of the [uncompromisingly] just and righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines more and more (brighter and clearer) until [it reaches its full strength and glory in] the perfect day [to be prepared].^(X)

¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.^(Y)

²⁰ My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings.

²¹ Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart.

²² For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh.

²³ Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

²⁴ Put away from you false and dishonest speech, and willful and contrary talk put far from you.

²⁵ Let your eyes look right on [with fixed purpose], and let your gaze be straight before you.

²⁶ Consider well the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established and ordered aright.

²⁷ Turn not aside to the right hand or to the left; remove your foot from evil.