11 (A)Come, O children, listen to me;
    (B)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Read full chapter

11 Come, my children, listen(A) to me;
    I will teach you(B) the fear of the Lord.(C)

Read full chapter

(A)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Read full chapter

The fear of the Lord(A) is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools[a] despise wisdom(B) and instruction.(C)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.

10 (A)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
    all those who practice it have (B)a good understanding.
    His (C)praise endures forever!

Read full chapter

10 The fear of the Lord(A) is the beginning of wisdom;(B)
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.(C)
    To him belongs eternal praise.(D)

Read full chapter

The Value of Wisdom

(A)My son, (B)if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice (C)for understanding,
if you seek it like (D)silver
    and search for it as for (E)hidden treasures,
then (F)you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
For (G)the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is (H)a shield to those who (I)walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
    and (J)watching over the way of his (K)saints.
(L)Then you will understand (M)righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;

Read full chapter

Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son,(A) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding(B)
indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.(E)
For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield(H) to those whose walk is blameless,(I)
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.(J)

Then you will understand(K) what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.

Read full chapter

I will (A)instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will (B)counsel you with my eye upon you.

Read full chapter

I will instruct(A) you and teach you(B) in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my loving eye on(C) you.

Read full chapter

(A)“To whom will he teach knowledge,
    and to whom will he explain the message?
Those who are weaned from the milk,
    those taken from the breast?

Read full chapter

“Who is it he is trying to teach?(A)
    To whom is he explaining his message?(B)
To children weaned(C) from their milk,(D)
    to those just taken from the breast?

Read full chapter

17 (A)I love those who love me,
    and (B)those who seek me diligently find me.

Read full chapter

17 I love those who love me,(A)
    and those who seek me find me.(B)

Read full chapter

And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you (A)turn and (B)become like children, you (C)will never enter the kingdom of heaven. (D)Whoever humbles himself like this child is the (E)greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Read full chapter

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,(A) you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.(B) Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.(C)

Read full chapter

24 And (A)now, O sons, listen to me,
    and be attentive to the words of my mouth.

Read full chapter

24 Now then, my sons, listen(A) to me;
    pay attention to what I say.

Read full chapter

A Father's Wise Instruction

(A)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may (B)gain[a] insight,

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
    pay attention and gain understanding.(C)

Read full chapter

16 (A)Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell what he has done for my soul.

Read full chapter

16 Come and hear,(A) all you who fear God;
    let me tell(B) you what he has done for me.

Read full chapter

(A)Train up a child in the way he should go;
    even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Read full chapter

Start(A) children off on the way they should go,(B)
    and even when they are old they will not turn from it.(C)

Read full chapter

15 and how (A)from childhood you have been acquainted with (B)the sacred writings, (C)which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Read full chapter

15 and how from infancy(A) you have known the Holy Scriptures,(B) which are able to make you wise(C) for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Read full chapter