Proverbs 2-4

Easy-to-Read Version

Listen to Wisdom

2 My son, pay attention to what I say. Remember my commands. ² Listen to wisdom, and do your best to understand. ³ Ask for good judgment. Cry out for understanding. ⁴ Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure. ⁵ If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the Lord, and you will come to know God.

⁶ The Lord is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth. ⁷ He gives good advice to honest people and shields those who do what is right. ⁸ He makes sure that people are treated fairly. He watches over his loyal followers.

⁹ If you listen to him, you will understand what is just and fair and how to do what is right. ¹⁰ You will gain wisdom, and knowledge will bring you joy.

¹¹ Planning ahead will protect you, and understanding will guard you. ¹² These will keep you from following the wrong path and will protect you from those who have evil plans. ¹³ Such people have left the straight path and now walk in darkness. ¹⁴ They enjoy doing evil and are happy with the confusion it brings. ¹⁵ Their ways are crooked; they lie and cheat.

¹⁶ Wisdom will save you from that other woman, another man’s wife, who tempts you with sweet words. ¹⁷ She married when she was young, but then she left her husband. She forgot the marriage vows she made before God. ¹⁸ Going into her house leads to death. She will lead you to the grave. ¹⁹ All who enter lose their life and never return.

²⁰ Wisdom will help you follow the example of good people and stay on the right path. ²¹ Honest people will live in the land, and those who do right will remain there. ²² But the wicked will be forced to leave. Those who lie and cheat will be thrown out of the land.

The Blessing of Wisdom

3 My son, don’t forget my teaching. Remember what I tell you to do. ² What I teach will give you a good, long life, and all will go well for you.

³ Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart. ⁴ Then God will be pleased and think well of you and so will everyone else.

⁵ Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. ⁶ With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. ⁷ Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the Lord and stay away from evil. ⁸ If you do this, it will be like a refreshing drink and medicine for your body.

⁹ Honor the Lord with your wealth and the first part of your harvest. ¹⁰ Then your barns will be full of grain, and your barrels will be overflowing with wine.

¹¹ My son, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be angry when he corrects you. ¹² The Lord corrects the one he loves, just as a father corrects a child he cares about.

¹³ Those who find wisdom are fortunate; they will be blessed when they gain understanding. ¹⁴ Profit that comes from wisdom is better than silver and even the finest gold. ¹⁵ Wisdom is worth more than fine jewels. Nothing you desire has more value.

¹⁶ With her right hand, Wisdom offers long life—with the other hand, riches and honor. ¹⁷ Wisdom will lead you to a life of joy and peace. ¹⁸ Wisdom is like a life-giving tree to those who hold on to her; she is a blessing to those who keep her close.

¹⁹ With wisdom and understanding, the Lord created the earth and sky. ²⁰ With his knowledge, he made the oceans and the clouds that produce rain.

²¹ My son, don’t ever let wisdom out of your sight. Hold on to wisdom and careful planning. ²² They will bring you a long life filled with honor. ²³ As you go through life, you will always be safe and never fall. ²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you rest, your sleep will be peaceful. ²⁵ You have no reason to fear a sudden disaster or the destruction that comes to the wicked. ²⁶ You can trust the Lord to protect you. He will not let you fall into harm.

²⁷ Do everything you possibly can for those who need help. ²⁸ If your neighbor needs something you have, don’t say, “Come back tomorrow.” Give it to him immediately.

²⁹ Don’t make plans to harm your neighbor, who lives near you and trusts you.^[a]

³⁰ Don’t take people to court without good reason, especially when they have done nothing to harm you.

³¹ Don’t envy those who are violent. Never choose to be like them. ³² Such crooked people are disgusting to the Lord. But he is a friend to those who are good and honest.

³³ The Lord curses a wicked family, but he blesses the homes of those who live right.

³⁴ He will humiliate those who make fun of others, but he is kind to those who are humble.

³⁵ The way the wise live will bring them honor, but the way fools live will bring them shame.

A Father’s Advice About Wisdom

4 Children, listen to your father’s teaching. Pay attention and you will learn how to learn. ² The advice I give is good, so don’t ever forget what I teach you.

³ When I was my father’s little boy and my mother’s dear son,^{[b] 4} my father taught me this: “Pay attention to what I say. Obey my commands and you will have a good life. ⁵ Try to get wisdom and understanding. Don’t forget my teaching or ignore what I say. ⁶ Don’t turn away from wisdom, and she will protect you. Love her, and she will keep you safe.

⁷ “The first step to becoming wise is to look for wisdom, so use everything you have to get understanding. ⁸ Love wisdom, and she will make you great. Hold on to wisdom, and she will bring you honor. ⁹ Wisdom will reward you with a crown of honor and glory.”

¹⁰ Son, listen to me. Do what I say, and you will live a long time. ¹¹ I am teaching you about wisdom and guiding you on the right path. ¹² As you walk on it, you will not step into a trap. Even if you run, you will not trip and fall. ¹³ Always remember this teaching. Don’t forget it. It is the key to life, so guard it well.

¹⁴ Don’t take the path of the wicked; don’t follow those who do evil. ¹⁵ Stay away from that path; don’t even go near it. Turn around and go another way. ¹⁶ The wicked cannot sleep until they have done something evil. They will not rest until they bring someone down. ¹⁷ Evil and violence are their food and drink.

¹⁸ The path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day. ¹⁹ But the path of the wicked is like a dark night. They trip and fall over what they cannot see.

²⁰ My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. ²¹ Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. ²² These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. ²³ Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.

²⁴ Don’t bend the truth or say things that you know are not right. ²⁵ Keep your eyes on the path, and look straight ahead. ²⁶ Make sure you are going the right way, and nothing will make you fall. ²⁷ Don’t go to the right or to the left, and you will stay away from evil.