Proverbs 2
Evangelical Heritage Version
Second Address to a Son: Wisdom Provides Protection
2 My son, if you accept my words,
if you store up my commands within you,
2 by paying attention[a] to wisdom with your ear,
by reaching out for understanding with your heart,
3 if indeed you call out for intelligence,
if you raise your voice for understanding,
4 if you search for it like silver,
if you hunt for it like hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
then you will find the knowledge of God,
6 because the Lord gives wisdom.
Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.
7 He stores up sound judgment for upright people.
He is a shield for those who walk in integrity.
8 He protects those who walk on paths of justice.
He guards the way of his favored ones.[b]
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
and fairness—every good path,
10 because wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant for your soul.
11 Foresight will stand guard over you.
Understanding will protect you.
12 It will save you from the evil way,
from the man who speaks perverse things,
13 from those who abandon upright paths
in order to walk in the ways of darkness.
14 It will save you from those who enjoy doing evil,
from those who celebrate the twisted ways of evil,
15 from those whose paths are crooked,
and from those whose ways are devious.
Wisdom Protects You From the Adulterous Woman
16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman,[c]
from the unfaithful woman[d] with her seductive words,
17 who abandons the husband of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God.
18 So she sinks down to death, which becomes her house.[e]
Her way of life leads down to the spirits of the dead.
19 All who enter her house never return.
They never reach the paths of life.
Admonition to Live Righteously
20 This is how to walk in the way of good people,
how to stay on the paths of the righteous.
21 Yes, the upright will live in the land,
and people with integrity will remain in it,
22 but wicked people will be cut off from the land,
and treacherous people will be torn out of it.
Notas al pie
- Proverbs 2:2 Or so you can pay attention
- Proverbs 2:8 Or those who are merciful or those who have received his mercy
- Proverbs 2:16 Literally from the strange woman, that is, one who is married to another man
- Proverbs 2:16 Literally from the foreign woman, that is, one who is married to another man
- Proverbs 2:18 The line is difficult and the translation is uncertain.
Proverbs 2
Lexham English Bible
The Benefits of Wisdom
2 My child, if you will receive[a] my sayings,
and hide my commands with you,
2 in order to incline your ear toward wisdom,
then you shall apply your heart to understanding.
3 For if you cry out for understanding,[b]
if you lift[c] your voice for insight,
4 if you seek her like silver
and search her out like treasure,[d]
5 then you will understand the fear of Yahweh,
and the knowledge of God you will find.
6 For Yahweh will give wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 For the upright, he stores[e] sound judgment, a shield for those who walk uprightly,
8 in order to guard paths of justice
and keep[f] the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and uprightness—every good course—
10 for wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul.[g]
11 Discretion will watch over you;
understanding will protect you,
12 in order to deliver you from the way of evil,[h]
from a man who speaks devious things—
13 those who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in ways of darkness,
14 those who are happy to do evil,
for they delight in the deviousness of evil,
15 who are crooked in their ways,[i]
and devious in their paths;
16 in order to deliver you from a strange woman,
from a foreign woman who flatters[j] with her sayings,
17 she who forsakes the partner of her youth
and has forgotten the covenant of her God,
18 for her house sinks to death,
and to the dead[k] are her paths.
19 Of all who go to her, none shall return,
nor do they reach paths of life.
20 So that you will walk on the road of those who are good,
and the paths of those who are righteous you shall keep.
21 For those who are upright will dwell in the land,[l]
and those who are blameless[m] will remain in it.
22 And those who are wicked will be cut off from the land,
and those who are treacherous will be uprooted from it.
Notas al pie
- Proverbs 2:1 Or “take, seize”
- Proverbs 2:3 Or “call to understanding”
- Proverbs 2:3 Or “carry, give”
- Proverbs 2:4 Literally “like the treasures”
- Proverbs 2:7 Or “hides, keeps”
- Proverbs 2:8 Or “preserve, guard, watch”
- Proverbs 2:10 Or “inner self”
- Proverbs 2:12 Or “evildoer”
- Proverbs 2:15 Literally “that in their ways are crooked”
- Proverbs 2:16 Or “makes smooth”
- Proverbs 2:18 Or “Rephaim”
- Proverbs 2:21 Or “earth”
- Proverbs 2:21 Or “innocent”
Proverbs 3:13-24
Evangelical Heritage Version
13 How blessed is the person who finds wisdom,[a]
the person who acquires understanding,
14 because the profit it gives is better than the profit from silver,
and its yield is better than gold!
15 It is more valuable than gems,[b]
and nothing you desire can equal it.
16 In its right hand are the days of a long life.
In its left hand are riches and honor.
17 Its ways are pleasant ways,
and all its paths are peace.
18 It is a tree of life for those who hold on to it.
Those who cling to it are blessed.
19 The Lord founded the earth by wisdom.
He established the heavens by understanding.
20 By his knowledge the deep waters were divided,
and the clouds drip dew.
21 My son, do not take your eyes off these things.
Guard sound judgment and insight.
22 They will be life for your soul
and grace to adorn your neck.
23 Then you will walk safely on your way,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
When you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
Notas al pie
- Proverbs 3:13 Or Wisdom. An issue throughout Proverbs 1-9 is when wisdom should be capitalized as the personal name of Lady Wisdom and when it is the common noun. Most translations do not capitalize wisdom in verses like verse 13 because of the parallelism with understanding. This decision also determines whether the English pronouns should be she or it. In Hebrew the noun for wisdom is feminine, so the pronouns in Hebrew are always feminine.
- Proverbs 3:15 The meaning of this word is uncertain. It may refer to a specific gemstone, such as rubies or red coral.
Proverbs 3:13-24
Lexham English Bible
13 Happy is the one[a] who finds wisdom,
and one who obtains understanding.
14 For her[b] income is better than the income of silver,
and her revenue than that of gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
and all your desires shall not compare with her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life for those who seize her;
those who take hold of her are considered happy.
Role of Wisdom in Creation and Society
19 Yahweh in wisdom founded the earth;
he established the heavens in understanding.
20 With his knowledge, depths broke open,
and clouds dropped dew.
21 My child, may they[c] not escape from your sight;[d]
may you keep sound wisdom and prudence.
22 They shall be life for your soul[e]
and adornment[f] for your neck.
23 Then you will walk in the confidence of your ways,
and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you sit down, you will not panic,[g]
and if you lie down, then your sleep shall be sweet.
Notas al pie
- Proverbs 3:13 Literally “a man”
- Proverbs 3:14 Or “its”; both “wisdom” and “understanding” are feminine nouns and can be read as either “she” or “it”
- Proverbs 3:21 Grammatically, “they” most likely refers to clouds (3:20). In context, “they” may refer to wisdom and understanding (3:13).
- Proverbs 3:21 Literally “eyes”
- Proverbs 3:22 Or “inner self”
- Proverbs 3:22 Or “favor”
- Proverbs 3:24 Or “fear, dread”
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