Proverbs 2:7-22
Legacy Standard Bible
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright,
A (A)shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 To guard the paths of justice,
And He (B)keeps the way of His holy ones.
9 Then you will understand (C)righteousness and justice
And equity—every (D)good track.
10 For (E)wisdom will enter your heart
And (F)knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 Discretion will (G)keep you,
Discernment will guard you,
12 To (H)deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks (I)perverse things;
13 From those who (J)forsake the paths of uprightness
To walk in the (K)ways of darkness;
14 Who are (L)glad to do evil
And they rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are (M)crooked,
And who are devious in their tracks;
16 To deliver you from the [a](N)strange woman,
From the [b](O)foreign woman who flatters with her words;
17 Who forsakes the close (P)companion of her youth
And forgets the (Q)covenant of her God;
18 For (R)her house [c]sinks down to death
And her tracks descend to the [d]dead;
19 All (S)who go to her will not return,
And they will not reach the (T)paths of life.
20 So that you will (U)walk in the way of good men
And keep to the (V)paths of the righteous.
21 For (W)the upright will dwell in the land
And (X)the blameless will remain in it;
22 But (Y)the wicked will be cut off from the land
And (Z)the treacherous will be (AA)torn away from it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:16 A forbidden woman, outside of the marriage covenant; an adulteress; parallel with foreign woman; so in Prov
- Proverbs 2:16 An unfamiliar woman, alien to the marriage covenant; parallel with strange woman
- Proverbs 2:18 Lit bows down
- Proverbs 2:18 Lit departed spirits
Proverbs 2:7-22
Lexham English Bible
7 For the upright, he stores[a] sound judgment, a shield for those who walk uprightly,
8 in order to guard paths of justice
and keep[b] 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.[c]
11 Discretion will watch over you;
understanding will protect you,
12 in order to deliver you from the way of evil,[d]
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,[e]
and devious in their paths;
16 in order to deliver you from a strange woman,
from a foreign woman who flatters[f] 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[g] 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,[h]
and those who are blameless[i] 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.
Footnotes
- 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 6:20-24
Legacy Standard Bible
Warning Against Adultery
20 (A)My son, observe the commandment of your father
And do not abandon the [a]law of your mother;
21 (B)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (C)walk about, [b]they will lead you;
When you sleep, [c]they will keep watch over you;
And when you awake, [d]they will speak to you.
23 For (D)the commandment is a lamp and the [e]law is light;
And reproofs for discipline are the way of life
24 To (E)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:20 Or instruction
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
- Proverbs 6:23 Or instruction
Proverbs 6:20-24
Lexham English Bible
Commandment and Instruction as Guardians
20 My child, keep the commandment of your father,
and do not disregard the instruction of your mother.
21 Bind them on your heart continually;
tie them upon your neck.
22 When you walk,[a] she[b] will lead you,
When you lie down,[c] she will watch over you,
and when you awake, she will converse with you.
23 For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light,
and the way of life[d] is the reproof of discipline,
24 in order to preserve you from an evil woman,[e]
from the smoothness of the tongue of an adulteress.[f]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:22 Literally “In your walking”
- Proverbs 6:22 That is, “commandment” and “instruction”
- Proverbs 6:22 Literally “In your lying down”
- Proverbs 6:23 Hebrew “lives”
- Proverbs 6:24 Or “wife”
- Proverbs 6:24 Literally “a foreign woman”
Proverbs 7:1-5
Legacy Standard Bible
The Adulteress’ Trap
7 My son, (A)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
2 (B)Keep my commandments and live,
And my [a]law (C)as the [b]apple of your eye.
3 (D)Bind them on your fingers;
(E)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend;
5 In order to keep you from the strange woman,
From the foreign woman who [c]flatters with her words.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:2 Or instruction
- Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil
- Proverbs 7:5 Lit is smooth
Proverbs 7:1-5
Lexham English Bible
Warning Against the Strange Woman
7 My child, guard my sayings;
store my commandments with you.
2 Keep my commands and live,
and my teaching like the apple of your eye.[a]
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom,[b] “you are my sister,”
and you shall call insight,[c] “intimate friend.”[d]
5 In order to guard yourself from an adulteress,[e]
from the foreigner who makes her words smooth.[f]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:2 A single word meaning “pupil of the eye”
- Proverbs 7:4 Hebrew “the wisdom”
- Proverbs 7:4 Hebrew “the insight”
- Proverbs 7:4 Literally “one who is known.” To “know” is often a euphemism for intercourse. Therefore “intimate friend” may also be read “lover.”
- Proverbs 7:5 Literally “a strange woman”
- Proverbs 7:5 Literally “causes to be smooth her words”
Proverbs 10:19
Legacy Standard Bible
19 When there are (A)many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But (B)he who holds back his lips has insight.
Proverbs 10:19
Lexham English Bible
19 In many words, transgression is not lacking,
but he who restrains his lips is prudent.
Proverbs 14:3
Legacy Standard Bible
3 In the mouth of the ignorant fool is a rod of lofty pride,
But (A)the lips of the wise will keep them.
Proverbs 14:3
Lexham English Bible
3 In the mouth of a fool is the rod of pride,
but the lips of the wise preserve them.
Proverbs 18:10
Legacy Standard Bible
10 The (A)name of Yahweh is a (B)strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and is (C)set securely on high.
Proverbs 18:10
Lexham English Bible
10 A tower of strength is the name of Yahweh;
into him[a] the righteous will run and be safe.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:10 Or “it”
Proverbs 21:23
Legacy Standard Bible
23 He who (A)keeps his mouth and his tongue,
Keeps his soul from troubles.
Proverbs 21:23
Lexham English Bible
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue,
he guards his life[a] from danger.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:23 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
Proverbs 22:5
Legacy Standard Bible
5 (A)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
He who keeps his soul will be far from them.
Proverbs 22:5
Lexham English Bible
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
he who guards himself[a] will keep away from them.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:5 Or “soul,” or “life”
Proverbs 22:24-25
Legacy Standard Bible
24 Do not befriend a man of anger;
And do not come along with a man of (A)great wrath,
25 Lest you (B)learn his ways
And take on a snare against your soul.
Proverbs 22:24-25
Lexham English Bible
24 Do not befriend an owner[a] of anger,[b]
and with a man of wrath you shall not associate;
25 lest you learn his way
and become entangled in a snare to yourself.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:24 Or “master”
- Proverbs 22:24 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 22:25 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
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