Proverbs 2:7-22
Holman Christian Standard Bible
7 He stores up success[a] for the upright;
He is a shield for those who live with integrity(A)
8 so that He may guard the paths of justice
and protect the way of His loyal followers.(B)
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
and integrity—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your mind,
and knowledge will delight your heart.
11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you,(C)
12 rescuing you from the way of evil—
from the one who says perverse things,
13 from those who abandon the right paths
to walk in ways of darkness,(D)
14 from those who enjoy doing evil(E)
and celebrate perversion,
15 whose paths are crooked,(F)
and whose ways are devious.(G)
16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman,(H)
from a stranger[b] with her flattering talk,(I)
17 who abandons the companion of her youth(J)
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death
and her ways to the land of the departed spirits.(K)
19 None return who go to her;
none reach the paths of life.(L)
20 So follow the way of good people,(M)
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those of integrity will remain in it;(N)
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,(O)
and the treacherous uprooted from it.(P)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:7 Or resourcefulness
- Proverbs 2:16 Or foreign woman
Proverbs 2:7-22
Common English Bible
7 He reserves ability for those with integrity.
He is a shield for those who live a blameless life.
8 He protects the paths of justice
and guards the way of those who are loyal to him.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
as well as integrity, every good course.
10 Wisdom will enter your mind,
and knowledge will fill you with delight.
11 Discretion will guard you;
understanding will protect you.
12 Wisdom will rescue you from the evil path,
from people who twist their words.
13 They forsake the way of integrity
and go on obscure paths.
14 They enjoy doing evil,
rejoicing in their twisted evil.
15 Their paths are confused;
they get lost on their way.
16 Wisdom will rescue you from the mysterious woman,
from the foreign woman with her slick words.
17 She leaves behind the partner of her youth;
she even forgets her covenant with God.
18 Her house sinks down to death,
and her paths go down to the shadowy dead.
19 All those who go to her will never return;
they will never again reach the ways of the living.
20 So you should stay on the path of good people,
guarding the road of the righteous.
21 Those who have integrity will dwell in the land;
the innocent will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be ripped up.
Proverbs 6:20-24
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Warning against Adultery
20 My son, keep your father’s command,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.(A)
21 Always bind them to your heart;
tie them around your neck.(B)
22 When you walk here and there, they will guide you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
when you wake up, they will talk to you.
23 For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,(C)
and corrective discipline is the way to life.(D)
24 They will protect you from an evil woman,[a]
from the flattering[b] tongue of a stranger.(E)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:24 LXX reads from a married woman
- Proverbs 6:24 Lit smooth
Proverbs 6:20-24
Common English Bible
Danger of adultery
20 My son, keep your father’s command;
don’t abandon your mother’s instruction.
21 Bind them on your heart for all time;
fasten them around your neck.
22 When you walk around, they will lead you;
when you lie down, they will protect you;
when you awake, they will occupy your attention.
23 The commandment is a lamp and instruction a light;
corrective teaching is the path of life.
24 They guard you from the evil woman,
from the flattering tongue of the foreign woman.
Proverbs 7:1-5
Holman Christian Standard Bible
7 My son, obey my words,
and treasure my commands.(A)
2 Keep my commands and live;(B)
protect my teachings
as the pupil of your eye.(C)
3 Tie them to your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(D)
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”(E)
and call understanding your relative.
5 She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a stranger with her flattering talk.(F)
Proverbs 7:1-5
Common English Bible
Avoid loose women
7 My son, keep my words;
store up my commands within you.
2 Keep my commands and live,
and my instruction like the pupil of your eye.
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister”;
call understanding “friend,”
5 so she might guard you against the mysterious woman,
from the foreign woman who flatters you.
Proverbs 10:19
Holman Christian Standard Bible
19 When there are many words, sin is unavoidable,
but the one who controls his lips is wise.(A)
Proverbs 10:19
Common English Bible
19 With lots of words comes wrongdoing,
but the wise restrain their lips.
Proverbs 14:3
Holman Christian Standard Bible
3 The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline,[a]
but the lips of the wise protect them.(A)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 Some emend to In the mouth of a fool is a rod for his back
Proverbs 14:3
Common English Bible
3 Pride sprouts in the mouth of a fool,[a]
but the lips of the wise protect them.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 Heb uncertain
Proverbs 18:10
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:10 Lit raised high
Proverbs 18:10
Common English Bible
10 The Lord’s name is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and find refuge.
Proverbs 21:23
Holman Christian Standard Bible
23 The one who guards his mouth and tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.(A)
Proverbs 21:23
Common English Bible
23 Those who guard their mouths and their tongues
guard themselves from trouble.
Proverbs 22:5
Holman Christian Standard Bible
5 There are thorns and snares on the path of the crooked;(A)
the one who guards himself stays far from them.
Proverbs 22:5
Common English Bible
5 Thorns and nets are in the path of the crooked;
those who guard their lives keep their distance.
Proverbs 22:24-25
Holman Christian Standard Bible
24 Don’t make friends with an angry man,[a]
and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered man,(A)
25 or you will learn his ways(B)
and entangle yourself in a snare.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:24 Lit with a master of anger
Proverbs 22:24-25
Common English Bible
24 Don’t befriend people controlled by anger;
don’t associate with hot-tempered people;
25 otherwise, you will learn their ways
and become trapped.
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