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

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Footnotes

  1. 1:4 Or simple, or gullible

They make the naive mature,
    the young knowledgeable and discreet.

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21 Maintain sound wisdom and discretion.
My son, don’t lose sight of them.(A)
22 They will be life for you[a](B)
and adornment[b] for your neck.
23 Then you will go safely on your way;
your foot will not stumble.(C)
24 When you lie[c] 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[d]
and will keep your foot from a snare.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 3:22 Or be your throat
  2. 3:22 Or grace
  3. 3:24 LXX reads sit
  4. 3:26 Or be at your side

Integrity of wisdom

21 My son, don’t let them slip from your eyes;
    hold on to sound judgment and discretion.
22 They will be life for your whole being,
    and an ornament for your neck.
23 Then you will walk safely on your path,
    and your foot won’t stumble.
24 If you lie down, you won’t be terrified.
    When you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
25 Don’t fear sudden terror
    or the ruin that comes to the wicked.
26 The Lord will be your confidence;
    he will guard your feet from being snared.

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A Father’s Example

Listen, 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 from 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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Love wisdom

Hear, children, fatherly instruction;
    pay attention to gain understanding.
I’ll teach you well.
    Don’t abandon my instruction.
When I was a son to my father,
    tender and my mother’s favorite,
    he taught me and said to me:
“Let your heart hold on to my words:
    Keep my commands and live.
Get wisdom; get understanding.
    Don’t forget and don’t turn away from my words.
Don’t abandon her, and she will guard you.
    Love her, and she will protect you.
The beginning of wisdom:
Get wisdom!
    Get understanding before anything else.

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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. 5:1 Lit wisdom; stretch out your ear

Avoid the mysterious woman

My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
    Bend your ear to what I know,
        so you might remain discreet,
        and your lips might guard knowledge.

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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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“Woman Wisdom’s” invitation

Wisdom built her house;
    she has carved out her seven pillars.
She slaughtered her animals,
    mixed her wine,
    and set her table.
She sends out her female servants; she issues an invitation
    from the top of the city heights:
“Whoever is naive turn aside here,”
    she says to those who lack sense.
“Come, eat my food,
    and drink the wine I have mixed.
Abandon your simplistic ways and live;
    walk in the way of understanding.”

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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 beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord;
    the knowledge of the holy one is understanding.

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

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By their wisdom the prudent understand their way,
    but the stupidity of fools deceives them.

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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. 14:15 Lit the prudent understands

15 The naive believe anything,
    but the prudent give thought to their steps.

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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 plans of the diligent end up in profit,
    but those who hurry end up with loss.

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A sensible person sees danger and takes cover,
but the inexperienced keep going and are punished.(A)

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Prudent people see trouble and hide,
    while the simpleminded go right to it and get punished.

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23 Buy—and do not sell—truth,
wisdom, instruction, and understanding.(A)

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23 Buy truth and don’t sell it;
    buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.

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12 A sensible person sees danger and takes cover;
the inexperienced keep going and are punished.(A)

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12 Prudent people see evil and hide;
    the simpleminded go right to it and get punished.

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