The Enticement of Sinners

(A)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching,
for they are (B)a graceful garland for your head
    and (C)pendants for your neck.

Read full chapter

Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son,(A) to your father’s(B) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(C)
They are a garland to grace your head
    and a chain to adorn your neck.(D)

Read full chapter

Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart

(A)My son, do not forget my teaching,
    (B)but let your heart keep my commandments,
for (C)length of days and years of life
    and (D)peace they will add to you.

Read full chapter

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

My son,(A) do not forget my teaching,(B)
    but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years(C)
    and bring you peace and prosperity.(D)

Read full chapter

10 (A)Hear, (B)my son, and accept my words,
    that (C)the years of your life may be many.
11 I have (D)taught you the way of wisdom;
    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, (E)your step will not be hampered,
    and (F)if you run, you will not stumble.
13 (G)Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
    guard her, for she is your (H)life.
14 (I)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
    and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
    turn away from it and pass on.

Read full chapter

10 Listen, my son,(A) accept what I say,
    and the years of your life will be many.(B)
11 I instruct(C) you in the way of wisdom
    and lead you along straight paths.(D)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
    when you run, you will not stumble.(E)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
    guard it well, for it is your life.(F)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.(G)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.

Read full chapter

The Fall

Now (A)the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, (B)‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” (C)But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit (D)and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, (E)and he ate.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Genesis 3:1 In Hebrew you is plural in verses 1–5
  2. Genesis 3:6 Or to give insight

The Fall

Now the serpent(A) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?(B)

The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,(C) but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”(D)

“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.(E) “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,(F) knowing good and evil.”

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable(G) for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,(H) who was with her, and he ate it.(I)

Read full chapter

Death in Adam, Life in Christ

12 Therefore, just as (A)sin came into the world through one man, and (B)death through sin, and (C)so death spread to all men[a] because (D)all sinned—

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Romans 5:12 The Greek word anthropoi refers here to both men and women; also twice in verse 18

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,(A) and death through sin,(B) and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned(C)

Read full chapter

(A)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Read full chapter

The fear of the Lord(A) is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools[a] despise wisdom(B) and instruction.(C)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.

27 The fear of the Lord is (A)a fountain of life,
    that one may (B)turn away from the snares of death.

Read full chapter

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,(A)
    turning a person from the snares of death.(B)

Read full chapter

23 The fear of the Lord (A)leads to life,
    and whoever has it rests (B)satisfied;
    he will (C)not be visited by harm.

Read full chapter

23 The fear of the Lord leads to life;
    then one rests content, untouched by trouble.(A)

Read full chapter

14 Blessed is the one who (A)fears the Lord[a] always,
    but whoever (B)hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:14 Hebrew lacks the Lord

14 Blessed is the one who always trembles before God,
    but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.

Read full chapter

11 (A)Rescue those who are being taken away to death;
    hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter.
12 If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,”
    (B)does not he who (C)weighs the heart perceive it?
Does not he who (D)keeps watch over your soul know it,
    and will he not repay man (E)according to his work?

Read full chapter

11 Rescue those being led away to death;
    hold back those staggering toward slaughter.(A)
12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
    does not he who weighs(B) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
    Will he not repay(C) everyone according to what they have done?(D)

Read full chapter

12 (A)There is a way that seems right to a man,
    but (B)its end is the way to death.[a]

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:12 Hebrew ways of death

12 There is a way that appears to be right,(A)
    but in the end it leads to death.(B)

Read full chapter

18 Whoever (A)isolates himself seeks his own desire;
    he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Read full chapter

18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
    and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

Read full chapter

15 (A)The simple believes everything,
    but the prudent gives thought to his steps.

Read full chapter

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

Read full chapter