Font Size
Proverbs 2
World English Bible
Proverbs 2
World English Bible
2 My son, if you will receive my words,
and store up my commandments within you,
2 so as to turn your ear to wisdom,
and apply your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for discernment,
and lift up your voice for understanding;
4 if you seek her as silver,
and search for her as for hidden treasures:
5 then you will understand the fear of Yahweh,
and find the knowledge of God.[a]
6 For Yahweh gives wisdom.
Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
7 He lays up sound wisdom for the upright.
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 that he may guard the paths of justice,
and preserve the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
equity and every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter into your heart.
Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you,
12 to deliver you from the way of evil,
from the men who speak perverse things,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness,
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice to do evil,
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 who are crooked in their ways,
and wayward in their paths,
16 to deliver you from the strange woman,
even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,
17 who forsakes the friend of her youth,
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house leads down to death,
her paths to the departed spirits.
19 None who go to her return again,
neither do they attain to the paths of life.
20 So you may walk in the way of good men,
and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will dwell in the land.
The perfect will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land.
The treacherous will be rooted out of it.
Footnotes
- 2:5 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
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
Proverbs 3:13-24
World English Bible
Proverbs 3:13-24
World English Bible
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gets understanding.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver,
and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies.
None of the things you can desire are to be compared to 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.
All her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.
Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth.
By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up,
and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes.
Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 so they will be life to your soul,
and grace for your neck.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely.
Your foot won’t stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
Proverbs 3:13-24
New International Version
Proverbs 3:13-24
New International Version
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.(A)
15 She is more precious than rubies;(B)
nothing you desire can compare with her.(C)
16 Long life is in her right hand;(D)
in her left hand are riches and honor.(E)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.(F)
18 She is a tree of life(G) to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.(H)
19 By wisdom(I) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,(J)
by understanding he set the heavens(K) in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son,(L) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(M)
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(N)
an ornament to grace your neck.(O)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(P)
and your foot will not stumble.(Q)
24 When you lie down,(R) you will not be afraid;(S)
when you lie down, your sleep(T) will be sweet.
World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.
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.