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Proverbs 2
1599 Geneva Bible
Proverbs 2
1599 Geneva Bible
2 1 Wisdom exhorteth to obey her. 5 She teacheth the fear of God. 6 She is given of God. 10 She preserveth from wickedness.
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and [a]hide my commandments within thee,
2 And cause thine ears to hearken unto wisdom, and incline [b]thine heart to understanding,
3 (For if thou callest after knowledge, [c]and cryest for understanding:
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for [d]treasures,
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the [e]knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom, out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He [f]preserveth the state of the righteous, he is a shield to them that walk uprightly,
8 That they may keep the ways of judgment: and he preserveth the way of his Saints).
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment, and equity, and every good path.
10 ¶ When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge delighteth thy soul,
11 Then shall [g]counsel preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee,
12 And deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh froward things,
13 And from them that leave the [h]ways of righteousness to walk in the ways of darkness:
14 Which rejoice in doing evil, and delight [i]in the frowardness of the wicked,
15 Whose ways are crooked, and they are lewd in their paths.
16 And it shall deliver thee from the strange [j]woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
17 Which forsaketh the [k]guide of her youth, and forgetteth the [l]covenant of her God.
18 Surely her [m]house tendeth to death, and her paths unto [n]the dead.
19 All they that go unto her, return not again, neither take they hold of the ways of life.
20 Therefore walk thou in the way of good men, and keep the ways of the righteous.
21 For the just shall dwell in the [o]land, and the upright men shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressor shall be rooted out of it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:1 That is, keep them in thine heart.
- Proverbs 2:2 If thou give thyself to the true knowledge of God without hypocrisy.
- Proverbs 2:3 Meaning, that we must seek the knowledge of God with care and diligence.
- Proverbs 2:4 Showing that no labor must be spared.
- Proverbs 2:5 This (saith he) is the true wisdom, to know and fear God.
- Proverbs 2:7 Or, hideth the salvation.
- Proverbs 2:11 The word of God shall teach thee, and counsel thee how to govern thyself.
- Proverbs 2:13 That is, the word of God, which is the only light, to follow their own fantasies which are darkness.
- Proverbs 2:14 When they see any given to evil as they are.
- Proverbs 2:16 Meaning, that wisdom which is the word of God, shall preserve us from all vices: naming this vice of whoredom whereunto man is most prone.
- Proverbs 2:17 That is, her husband, which is her head and guide to govern her, from whom she ought not to depart, but remain in his subjection.
- Proverbs 2:17 Which is the promise made in marriage.
- Proverbs 2:18 Her acquaintance with her familiars, and them that haunt her.
- Proverbs 2:18 To them that are dead in body and soul.
- Proverbs 2:21 They shall enjoy the temporal and spiritual promises of God, as the wicked shall be void of them.
Proverbs 2
King James Version
Proverbs 2
King James Version
2 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
Proverbs 2
English Standard Version
Proverbs 2
English Standard Version
The Value of Wisdom
2 (A)My son, (B)if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice (C)for understanding,
4 if you seek it like (D)silver
and search for it as for (E)hidden treasures,
5 then (F)you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For (G)the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is (H)a shield to those who (I)walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and (J)watching over the way of his (K)saints.
9 (L)Then you will understand (M)righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 (N)discretion will (O)watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to (P)walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who (Q)rejoice in doing evil
and (R)delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose (S)paths are crooked,
(T)and who are (U)devious in their ways.
16 So (V)you will be delivered from the forbidden[a] woman,
from (W)the adulteress[b] with (X)her smooth words,
17 who forsakes (Y)the companion of her youth
and forgets (Z)the covenant of her God;
18 (AA)for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;[c]
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.
20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright (AB)will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be (AC)cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be (AD)rooted out of it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew strange
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew foreign woman
- Proverbs 2:18 Hebrew to the Rephaim
Proverbs 2
New International Version
Proverbs 2
New International Version
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
2 My son,(A) if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding(B)—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.(E)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield(H) to those whose walk is blameless,(I)
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.(J)
9 Then you will understand(K) what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(L)
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.(M)
12 Wisdom will save(N) you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,(O)
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,(P)
15 whose paths are crooked(Q)
and who are devious in their ways.(R)
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,(S)
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a](T)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.(U)
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.(V)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.