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(A)The fear of [a]Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
[b]Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:7 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. Proverbs 1:7 One who lacks wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; so in Prov

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

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For (A)Yahweh gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and discernment.

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For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(A)

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13 (A)How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who obtains discernment.
14 For her (B)profit is better than the profit of silver
And her produce better than fine gold.
15 She is (C)more precious than [a]pearls;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 (D)Length of days is in her right hand;
In her left hand are (E)riches and glory.
17 Her (F)ways are pleasant ways
And all her pathways are (G)peace.
18 She is a (H)tree of life to those who seize her,
And all those who hold her fast are blessed.
19 Yahweh (I)by wisdom founded the earth,
By discernment He (J)established the heavens.
20 By His knowledge the (K)deeps were split up
And the (L)skies drip with dew.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:15 Or corals

Wisdom Brings Happiness

13 Happy is a man who finds wisdom(A)
and who acquires understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver,
and her revenue is better than gold.(B)
15 She is more precious than jewels;(C)
nothing you desire can equal her.(D)
16 Long life[a] is in her right hand;
in her left, riches and honor.(E)
17 Her ways are pleasant,(F)
and all her paths, peaceful.
18 She is a tree of life(G) to those who embrace her,
and those who hold on to her are happy.

19 The Lord founded the earth by wisdom(H)
and established the heavens by understanding.
20 By his knowledge the watery depths broke open,(I)
and the clouds dripped with dew.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 3:16 Lit Length of days

(A)Acquire wisdom! (B)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
(C)Love her, and she will guard you.
[a](D)The beginning of wisdom is: (E)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, acquire understanding.
(F)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
She will give (G)for your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

10 Hear, my son, and (H)receive my sayings
And the (I)years of your life will be many.
11 I have (J)instructed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright tracks.
12 When you walk, your (K)steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you (L)will not stumble.
13 (M)Seize discipline; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your (N)life.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:7 Or The primary thing is wisdom

Get wisdom, get understanding;(A)
don’t forget or turn away from the words from my mouth.
Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;
love her,(B) and she will guard you.
Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.
And whatever else you get, get understanding.(C)
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you.(D)
She will place a garland of favor on your head;
she will give you a crown of beauty.”(E)

Two Ways of Life

10 Listen, my son. Accept my words,(F)
and you will live many years.(G)
11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom;
I am guiding you on straight paths.(H)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;(I)
when you run, you will not stumble.(J)
13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.(K)
Guard it, for it is your life.

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Warning Against Adultery

My son, (A)pay attention to my wisdom,
(B)Incline your ear to my discernment;
That you may (C)keep discretion
And that your (D)lips may guard 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. 5:1 Lit wisdom; stretch out your ear

The Blessing of Wisdom

Does not (A)wisdom call,
And discernment give forth her voice?
At the top of (B)the heights upon the way,
Where the pathways meet, she takes her stand;
Beside the (C)gates, at the opening to the city,
At the entrance of the doors, she makes a shout:
“To you, O men, I call,
And my voice is to the sons of men.
O (D)simple ones, understand prudence;
And, O (E)fools, understand a heart of wisdom.
Listen, for I will speak (F)noble things;
And the opening of my lips will reveal (G)upright things.
For my (H)mouth will utter truth;
And wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
All the words of my mouth are in righteousness;
There is nothing (I)twisted or crooked in them.
They are all (J)straightforward to him who understands,
And right to those who (K)find knowledge.
10 Take my (L)discipline and not silver,
And knowledge rather than choicest fine gold.
11 For wisdom is (M)better than pearls;
And (N)all desirable things cannot compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, (O)dwell with prudence,
And I find (P)knowledge and discretion.
13 The (Q)fear of Yahweh is to hate evil;
(R)Pride and arrogance and (S)the evil way
And the mouth of [a](T)perverted words, I hate.
14 (U)Counsel is mine and (V)sound wisdom;
I am understanding, (W)might is mine.
15 By me (X)kings reign,
And rulers mark out righteousness.
16 By me princes rule, and nobles,
All who judge rightly.
17 I (Y)love those who love me;
And (Z)those who earnestly seek me will find me.
18 (AA)Riches and glory are with me,
Enduring (AB)wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is (AC)better than fine gold, even pure gold,
And my produce better than (AD)choice silver.
20 I walk in the path of righteousness,
In the midst of the pathways of justice,
21 To give those who love me an inheritance of wealth,
That I may (AE)fill their treasuries.

22 “Yahweh possessed me (AF)at the beginning of His way,
Before His deeds [b]of old.
23 From everlasting I was [c](AG)installed,
From the beginning, (AH)from the earliest times of the earth.
24 When there were no (AI)depths I was [d]brought forth,
When there were no springs heavy with water.
25 (AJ)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills I was [e]brought forth;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the fields outside,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 When He (AK)established the heavens, I was there,
When (AL)He marked out a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became strong,
29 When (AM)He set for the sea its boundary
So that the water would not pass over His [f]command,
When He marked out (AN)the foundations of the earth;
30 Then (AO)I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was a daily delight,
[g]Rejoicing always before Him,
31 [h]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
(AP)My delight is in the sons of men.

32 “So now, O sons, (AQ)listen to me,
For (AR)blessed are they who keep my ways.
33 (AS)Hear discipline and be wise,
And do not neglect it.
34 (AT)How blessed is the man who hears me,
To watch daily at my doors,
To keep watch at my doorposts.
35 For (AU)he who finds me finds life
And (AV)obtains favor from Yahweh.
36 But he who [i]sins against me (AW)does violence to his own soul;
All those who (AX)hate me (AY)love death.”

Wisdom and Foolishness Call Out

Wisdom has (AZ)built her house,
She has hewn out her seven pillars;
She has [j](BA)slaughtered her cattle, she has (BB)mixed her wine;
She has also (BC)prepared her table;
She has (BD)sent out her maidens, she (BE)calls
From the (BF)tops of the heights of the city:
(BG)Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who (BH)lacks a heart of wisdom she says,
“Come, (BI)eat of my bread
And drink of the wine I have mixed.
[k]Forsake your simplicity and (BJ)live,
And (BK)step into the way of understanding.”

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:13 Lit perversities
  2. Proverbs 8:22 Lit from then
  3. Proverbs 8:23 Or consecrated
  4. Proverbs 8:24 Or born
  5. Proverbs 8:25 Or born
  6. Proverbs 8:29 Lit mouth
  7. Proverbs 8:30 Or Playing
  8. Proverbs 8:31 Or Playing
  9. Proverbs 8:36 Or misses me
  10. Proverbs 9:2 Lit slaughtered her slaughter
  11. Proverbs 9:6 Or Forsake the simple ones

Wisdom’s Appeal

Doesn’t wisdom(A) call out?
Doesn’t understanding make her voice heard?
At the heights overlooking the road,
at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
Beside the gates(B) leading into the city,
at the main entrance, she cries out:
“People, I call out to you;
my cry is to the children of Adam.
Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.
Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and what my lips say is right.
For my mouth tells the truth,(C)
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
All the words from my mouth are righteous;
none of them are deceptive or perverse.(D)
All of them are clear to the perceptive,(E)
and right to those who discover knowledge.
10 Accept my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.(F)
11 For wisdom is better than jewels,(G)
and nothing desirable can equal it.(H)
12 I, wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion.(I)
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil.(J)
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
14 I possess good advice and sound wisdom;[a]
I have understanding and strength.(K)
15 It is by me that kings reign(L)
and rulers enact just law;
16 by me, princes lead,
as do nobles and all righteous judges.[b]
17 I love those who love me,(M)
and those who search for me find me.(N)
18 With me are riches and honor,(O)
lasting wealth and righteousness.(P)
19 My fruit is better than solid gold,
and my harvest than pure silver.(Q)
20 I walk in the ways of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.

22 “The Lord acquired[c] me
at the beginning of his creation,[d]
before his works of long ago.(R)
23 I was formed[e] before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.(S)
24 I was born
when there were no watery depths(T)
and no springs filled with water.
25 Before the mountains were established,
prior to the hills,(U) I was given birth—
26 before he made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
27 I was there when he established the heavens,(V)
when he laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,(W)
28 when he placed the skies above,
when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
29 when he set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate his command,(X)
when he laid out the foundations of the earth.(Y)
30 I was a skilled craftsman[f] beside him.(Z)
I was his[g] delight every day,
always rejoicing before him.
31 I was rejoicing in his inhabited world,(AA)
delighting in the children of Adam.(AB)

32 “And now, sons, listen to me;
those who keep my ways are happy.(AC)
33 Listen to instruction and be wise;(AD)
don’t ignore it.
34 Anyone who listens to me is happy,(AE)
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.
35 For the one who finds me finds life(AF)
and obtains favor from the Lord,(AG)
36 but the one who misses me[h] harms himself;(AH)
all who hate me love death.”(AI)

Wisdom versus Foolishness

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

Footnotes

  1. 8:14 Or resourcefulness
  2. 8:16 Some Hb mss, LXX read nobles who judge the earth
  3. 8:22 Or possessed, or made
  4. 8:22 Lit way
  5. 8:23 Or consecrated
  6. 8:30 Or a confidant, or a child, or was constantly
  7. 8:30 LXX; MT omits his
  8. 8:36 Or who sins against me

10 The (A)fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For (B)by me your days will become many,
And years of life will be added to you.
12 If you are wise, you are wise (C)for yourself,
And if you (D)scoff, you alone will bear it.

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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.
11 For by me your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit;(C)
if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.”

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When (A)arrogance comes, then comes disgrace,
But with the meek is wisdom.

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When arrogance comes, disgrace follows,
but with humility comes wisdom.(A)

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33 Wisdom rests in the heart of one who has understanding,
But in the midst of fools it is merely made known.

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33 Wisdom resides in the heart of the discerning;(A)
she is known[a] even among fools.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:33 LXX reads unknown

33 The [a]fear of Yahweh is the discipline [b]leading to wisdom,
And before glory comes humility.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:33 Or reverence
  2. Proverbs 15:33 Lit of

33 The fear of the Lord is what wisdom teaches,
and humility comes before honor.(A)

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16 How much (A)better it is to acquire wisdom than fine gold!
And to acquire understanding is to be chosen above silver.

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16 Get wisdom—
how much better it is than gold!
And get understanding—
it is preferable to silver.(A)

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24 Wisdom is in the presence of the one who understands,
But the (A)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

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24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes(A) roam to the ends of the earth.

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