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to give prudence to the simple,
    knowledge and discretion to the young man:

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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.

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

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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 for your neck.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely.
    Your foot won’t stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
    Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Don’t be afraid of sudden fear,
    neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
26 for Yahweh will be your confidence,
    and will keep your foot from being taken.

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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 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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Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction.
    Pay attention and know understanding;
for I give you sound learning.
    Don’t forsake my law.
For I was a son to my father,
    tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
He taught me, and said to me:
    “Let your heart retain my words.
    Keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom.
    Get understanding.
    Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you.
    Love her, and she will keep you.
Wisdom is supreme.
    Get wisdom.
    Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

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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

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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My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
    Turn your ear to my understanding,
that you may maintain discretion,
    that your lips may preserve knowledge.

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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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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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Wisdom has built her house.
    She has carved out her seven pillars.
She has prepared her meat.
    She has mixed her wine.
    She has also set her table.
She has sent out her maidens.
    She cries from the highest places of the city:
“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
    As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,
“Come, eat some of my bread,
    Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!
Leave your simple ways, and live.
    Walk in the way of understanding.”

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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 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 Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom.
    The knowledge of the Holy One is 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: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

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The wisdom of the prudent is to think about his way,
    but the folly of fools is deceit.

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

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15 A simple man believes everything,
    but the prudent man carefully considers his ways.

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

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

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The plans of the diligent surely lead to profit;
    and everyone who is hasty surely rushes to poverty.

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

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