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He lays up sound wisdom for the upright.
    He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
that he may guard the paths of justice,
    and preserve the way of his saints.
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.

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He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a (A)shield to those who walk in integrity,
Guarding the paths of justice,
And He (B)watches over the way of His godly ones.
Then you will discern (C)righteousness, justice,
And integrity, and every (D)good path.
10 For (E)wisdom will enter your heart,
And (F)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
11 Discretion will (G)watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,
12 To (H)rescue you from the way of evil,
From a person who speaks (I)perverse things;
13 From those who (J)leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the (K)ways of darkness;
14 Who (L)delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are (M)crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
16 To (N)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the (O)foreign woman who flatters with her words,
17 Who leaves the (P)companion of her youth
And forgets the (Q)covenant of her God;
18 For (R)her house sinks down to death,
And her tracks lead to the [a]dead;
19 None (S)who go to her return,
Nor do they reach the (T)paths of life.
20 So you will (U)walk in the way of good people
And keep to the (V)paths of the righteous.
21 For (W)the upright will live in the land,
And (X)the blameless will remain in it;
22 But (Y)the wicked will be eliminated from the land,
And (Z)the treacherous will be (AA)torn away from it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:18 Lit departed spirits

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,
    and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them continually on your heart.
    Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, it will lead you.
    When you sleep, it will watch over you.
    When you awake, it will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
    and the law is light.
    Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 to keep you from the immoral woman,
    from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

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20 (A)My son, comply with the commandment of your father,
And do not ignore the [a]teaching of your mother;
21 (B)Bind them continually on your heart;
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you (C)walk, [b]they will guide you;
When you sleep, [c]they will watch over you;
And when you awake, [d]they will talk to you.
23 For (D)the commandment is a lamp and the [e]teaching is light;
And rebukes for discipline are the way of life
24 To (E)keep you from the evil woman,
From the smooth tongue of the foreign woman.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:20 Or law
  2. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  3. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  4. Proverbs 6:22 Lit she
  5. Proverbs 6:23 Or law

My son, keep my words.
    Lay up my commandments within you.
Keep my commandments and live!
    Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers.
    Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.”
    Call understanding your relative,
that they may keep you from the strange woman,
    from the foreigner who flatters with her words.

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The Lures of the Prostitute

My son, (A)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
(B)Keep my commandments and live,
And my [a]teaching (C)as the [b]apple of your eye.
(D)Bind them on your fingers;
(E)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
And call understanding your intimate friend,
So that they may keep you from an [c]adulteress,
From the foreigner who flatters with her words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:2 Or law
  2. Proverbs 7:2 Lit pupil
  3. Proverbs 7:5 Lit strange woman

19 In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience,
    but he who restrains his lips does wisely.

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19 When there are (A)many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable,
But (B)one who restrains his lips is wise.

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The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back,
    but the lips of the wise protect them.

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In the mouth of the foolish is a rod for his back,
But (A)the lips of the wise will protect them.

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10 Yahweh’s name is a strong tower:
    the righteous run to him, and are safe.

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10 The (A)name of the Lord is a (B)strong tower;
The righteous runs into it and (C)is [a]safe.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:10 Lit set on high

23 Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue
    keeps his soul from troubles.

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23 One who (A)guards his mouth and his tongue,
Guards his soul from troubles.

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Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked:
    whoever guards his soul stays from them.

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(A)Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
One who guards himself will be far from them.

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24 Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man,
    and don’t associate with one who harbors anger:
25 lest you learn his ways,
    and ensnare your soul.

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24 Do not make friends with a person given to anger,
Or go with a (A)hot-tempered person,
25 Or you will (B)learn his ways
And [a]find a snare for yourself.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:25 Lit take