for giving prudence to those who are simple,[a](A)
    knowledge and discretion(B) to the young—

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:4 The Hebrew word rendered simple in Proverbs denotes a person who is gullible, without moral direction and inclined to evil.

for teaching shrewdness to the inexperienced,[a](A)
knowledge and discretion(B) to a young man—

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:4 Or simple, or gullible

To give subtilty to the simple, to the young man knowledge and discretion.

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21 My son,(A) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(B)
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(C)
    an ornament to grace your neck.(D)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(E)
    and your foot will not stumble.(F)
24 When you lie down,(G) you will not be afraid;(H)
    when you lie down, your sleep(I) will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
    or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side(J)
    and will keep your foot(K) from being snared.(L)

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21 Maintain your competence and discretion.
My son, don’t lose sight of them.(A)
22 They will be life for you[a][b](B)
and adornment[c] for your neck.
23 Then you will go safely on your way;
your foot will not stumble.(C)
24 When you lie[d] down, you will not be afraid;(D)
you will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.
25 Don’t fear sudden danger
or the ruin of the wicked when it comes,(E)
26 for the Lord will be your confidence[e]
and will keep your foot from a snare.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:22 Or be your throat
  2. Proverbs 3:22 In Hb, nephesh can mean throat, soul, or life.
  3. Proverbs 3:22 Or grace
  4. Proverbs 3:24 LXX reads sit
  5. Proverbs 3:26 Or be at your side

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

26 For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

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Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
    pay attention and gain understanding.(C)
I give you sound learning,
    so do not forsake my teaching.
For I too was a son to my father,
    still tender, and cherished by my mother.
Then he taught me, and he said to me,
    “Take hold(D) of my words with all your heart;
    keep my commands, and you will live.(E)
Get wisdom,(F) get understanding;
    do not forget my words or turn away from them.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(G)
    love her, and she will watch over you.(H)
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
    Though it cost all(I) you have,[b] get understanding.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
  2. Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get

A Father’s Example

Listen, my sons, to a father’s discipline,(A)
and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,
for I am giving you good instruction.(B)
Don’t abandon my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
tender and precious to my mother,
he taught me and said:
“Your heart must hold on to my words.
Keep my commands and live.(C)
Get wisdom, get understanding;(D)
don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.
Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;
love her,(E) and she will guard you.
Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.
And whatever else you get, get understanding.(F)

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Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

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Warning Against Adultery

My son,(A) pay attention to my wisdom,
    turn your ear to my words(B) of insight,
that you may maintain discretion
    and your lips may preserve knowledge.

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Avoid Seduction

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen closely[a] to my understanding(A)
so that you may maintain discretion
and your lips safeguard knowledge.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:1 Lit wisdom; stretch out your ear

My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

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Invitations of Wisdom and Folly

Wisdom has built(A) her house;
    she has set up[a] its seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;(B)
    she has also set her table.(C)
She has sent out her servants, and she calls(D)
    from the highest point of the city,(E)
    “Let all who are simple(F) come to my house!”
To those who have no sense(G) she says,
    “Come,(H) eat my food
    and drink the wine I have mixed.(I)
Leave your simple ways and you will live;(J)
    walk in the way of insight.”(K)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:1 Septuagint, Syriac and Targum; Hebrew has hewn out

Wisdom versus Foolishness

Wisdom has built her house;(A)
she has carved out her seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat;(B) she has mixed her wine;(C)
she has also set her table.(D)
She has sent out her female servants;(E)
she calls out from the highest points of the city:(F)
“Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense,(G) she says,
“Come, eat my bread,(H)
and drink the wine I have mixed.
Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;
pursue the way of understanding.

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Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars:

She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine; she hath also furnished her table.

She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city,

Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him,

Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled.

Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

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10 The fear of the Lord(A) is the beginning of wisdom,
    and knowledge of the Holy One(B) is understanding.(C)

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10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,(A)
and the knowledge of the Holy One(B) is understanding.

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10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

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The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,(A)
    but the folly of fools is deception.(B)

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The sensible man’s wisdom is to consider his way,
but the stupidity of fools deceives them.

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The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit.

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15 The simple believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.(A)

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15 The inexperienced one believes anything,(A)
but the sensible one watches[a] his steps.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:15 Lit the prudent understand

15 The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

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The plans of the diligent lead to profit(A)
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

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The plans of the diligent certainly lead to profit,
but anyone who is reckless certainly becomes poor.(A)

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The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of every one that is hasty only to want.

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