Proverbs 1-4
Legacy Standard Bible
To Know Wisdom
1 The (A)proverbs of Solomon (B)the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know (C)wisdom and discipline,
To understand the sayings of (D)understanding,
3 To (E)receive discipline [a]that leads to insight,
(F)Righteousness, justice, and equity,
4 To give (G)prudence to the [b](H)simple,
To the youth (I)knowledge and discretion;
5 Let the wise man hear and (J)increase in learning,
And a (K)man of understanding will acquire guidance,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma,
The words of the wise and their (L)riddles.
7 (M)The fear of [c]Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
[d]Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.
The Enticement of Sinners
8 (N)Hear, my son, your father’s discipline
And (O)do not abandon your mother’s [e]instruction;
9 For they are a (P)garland of grace for your head
And [f](Q)ornaments about your neck.
10 My son, if sinners (R)entice you,
(S)Do not be willing.
11 If they say, “Come with us,
Let us (T)lie in wait for blood,
Let us (U)ambush the innocent without cause;
12 Let us (V)swallow them alive like Sheol,
And whole, as those who (W)go down to the pit;
13 We will find all kinds of precious wealth,
We will fill our houses with spoil;
14 Cast in your lot [g]with us,
We shall all have one purse,”
15 My son, (X)do not walk in the way with them.
(Y)Withhold your feet from their pathway,
16 For (Z)their feet run to evil
And they hasten to shed blood.
17 For it is [h]no use that a net is spread
In the sight of any [i]bird;
18 But they (AA)lie in wait for their own blood;
They ambush their own [j]lives.
19 So are the paths of everyone who is (AB)greedy for gain;
It takes away the [k]life of its possessors.
The Call of Wisdom
20 (AC)Wisdom shouts in the street,
She gives forth her voice in the square;
21 At the head of the noisy streets she calls out;
At the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings:
22 “How long, O (AD)simple ones, will you love simplicity?
And (AE)scoffers delight in scoffing
And [l]fools (AF)hate knowledge?
23 Turn to my reproof,
Behold, I will (AG)pour out my spirit on you;
I will make my words known to you.
24 Because (AH)I called and you (AI)refused,
I (AJ)stretched out my hand and no one paid attention;
25 And you (AK)neglected all my counsel
And were not (AL)willing to accept my reproof;
26 I will also (AM)laugh at your (AN)disaster;
I will mock when your (AO)dread comes,
27 When your dread comes like a storm
And your disaster comes like a (AP)whirlwind,
When distress and anguish come upon you.
28 Then they will (AQ)call on me, but I will not answer;
They will (AR)seek me earnestly but they will not find me,
29 Because they (AS)hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of Yahweh.
30 They (AT)were not willing to accept my counsel,
They spurned all my reproof.
31 So they shall (AU)eat of the fruit of their way
And be (AV)satisfied with their own devices.
32 For the (AW)turning away of the simple will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.
33 But (AX)he who listens to me shall dwell securely
And will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
Yahweh Gives Wisdom
2 My son, if you will (AY)receive my words
And (AZ)treasure my commandments within you,
2 (BA)To make your ear pay attention to wisdom,
Incline your heart to discernment;
3 For if you call out for understanding,
Give your voice for discernment;
4 If you seek her as (BB)silver
And search for her as for (BC)hidden treasures;
5 Then you will understand the (BD)fear of Yahweh
And find the knowledge of God.
6 For (BE)Yahweh gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and discernment.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright,
A (BF)shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 To guard the paths of justice,
And He (BG)keeps the way of His holy ones.
9 Then you will understand (BH)righteousness and justice
And equity—every (BI)good track.
10 For (BJ)wisdom will enter your heart
And (BK)knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 Discretion will (BL)keep you,
Discernment will guard you,
12 To (BM)deliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks (BN)perverse things;
13 From those who (BO)forsake the paths of uprightness
To walk in the (BP)ways of darkness;
14 Who are (BQ)glad to do evil
And they rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are (BR)crooked,
And who are devious in their tracks;
16 To deliver you from the [m](BS)strange woman,
From the [n](BT)foreign woman who flatters with her words;
17 Who forsakes the close (BU)companion of her youth
And forgets the (BV)covenant of her God;
18 For (BW)her house [o]sinks down to death
And her tracks descend to the [p]dead;
19 All (BX)who go to her will not return,
And they will not reach the (BY)paths of life.
20 So that you will (BZ)walk in the way of good men
And keep to the (CA)paths of the righteous.
21 For (CB)the upright will dwell in the land
And (CC)the blameless will remain in it;
22 But (CD)the wicked will be cut off from the land
And (CE)the treacherous will be (CF)torn away from it.
Trust, Fear, and Honor Yahweh
3 My son, (CG)do not forget my [q]law,
But let your heart (CH)guard my commandments;
2 For (CI)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let (CJ)lovingkindness and truth forsake you;
(CK)Bind them around your neck,
(CL)Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will (CM)find favor and (CN)good insight
In the eyes of God and man.
5 (CO)Trust in Yahweh with all your heart
And (CP)do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways [r](CQ)acknowledge Him,
And He will (CR)make your paths straight.
7 (CS)Do not be wise in your own eyes;
(CT)Fear Yahweh and turn away from evil.
8 It will be (CU)healing to your [s]body
And (CV)refreshment to your bones.
9 (CW)Honor Yahweh from your wealth
And from the (CX)first of all your produce;
10 So your (CY)barns will be filled with plenty
And your (CZ)vats will burst with new wine.
11 (DA)My son, do not reject the [t]discipline of Yahweh
Or loathe His reproof,
12 For (DB)whom Yahweh loves He reproves,
Even (DC)as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.
13 (DD)How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who obtains discernment.
14 For her (DE)profit is better than the profit of silver
And her produce better than fine gold.
15 She is (DF)more precious than [u]pearls;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 (DG)Length of days is in her right hand;
In her left hand are (DH)riches and glory.
17 Her (DI)ways are pleasant ways
And all her pathways are (DJ)peace.
18 She is a (DK)tree of life to those who seize her,
And all those who hold her fast are blessed.
19 Yahweh (DL)by wisdom founded the earth,
By discernment He (DM)established the heavens.
20 By His knowledge the (DN)deeps were split up
And the (DO)skies drip with dew.
21 My son, (DP)let them not deviate from your eyes;
Guard sound wisdom and discretion,
22 So they will be (DQ)life for your soul
And (DR)grace for your neck.
23 Then you will (DS)walk in your way securely
And your foot will not (DT)stumble.
24 When you (DU)lie down, you will not be in dread;
You will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.
25 (DV)Do not be afraid of sudden dread
Nor of the (DW)storm of the wicked when it comes;
26 For Yahweh will be [v]your confidence
And will (DX)keep your foot from being caught.
27 (DY)Do not withhold good from [w]those to whom it is due,
When it is in your hand to do it.
28 (DZ)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When it is there with you.
29 (EA)Do not devise [x]harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 (EB)Do not contend with a man without cause,
If he has dealt you no [y]harm.
31 (EC)Do not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the (ED)devious one is an abomination to Yahweh;
But His (EE)secret council is with the upright.
33 The (EF)curse of Yahweh is on the house of the wicked one,
But He (EG)blesses the abode of the righteous.
34 Though (EH)He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet (EI)He gives grace to the humble.
35 (EJ)The wise will inherit glory,
But [z]fools raise up disgrace.
A Father’s Wise Instruction
4 Hear, O sons, the (EK)discipline of a father,
And (EL)pay attention that you may know understanding,
2 For I give you [aa]sound (EM)learning;
(EN)Do not forsake my [ab]instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
(EO)Tender and (EP)the only son before my mother,
4 Then he (EQ)instructed me and said to me,
“Let your heart (ER)hold fast my words;
(ES)Keep my commandments and live;
5 (ET)Acquire wisdom! (EU)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
(EV)Love her, and she will guard you.
7 [ac](EW)The beginning of wisdom is: (EX)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, acquire understanding.
8 (EY)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will give (EZ)for your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Hear, my son, and (FA)receive my sayings
And the (FB)years of your life will be many.
11 I have (FC)instructed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright tracks.
12 When you walk, your (FD)steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you (FE)will not stumble.
13 (FF)Seize discipline; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your (FG)life.
14 (FH)Do not enter the path of wicked men
And do not step into the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;
(FI)Stray from it and pass on.
16 For they (FJ)do not sleep unless they do evil;
And [ad]they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 For they (FK)eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the (FL)path of the righteous is like the (FM)light of dawn,
That (FN)shines brighter and brighter until the (FO)fullness of day.
19 The (FP)way of the wicked is like thick darkness;
They do not know over what they [ae](FQ)stumble.
20 My son, (FR)pay attention to my words;
(FS)Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (FT)Do not let them deviate from your eyes;
(FU)Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are (FV)life to those who find them
And (FW)healing to all his flesh.
23 Guard your heart with all diligence,
For (FX)from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you a (FY)perverse mouth
And (FZ)put devious lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And even let your eyelids be fixed straight in front of you.
26 (GA)Watch the track of your feet
And all your (GB)ways will be established.
27 (GC)Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
(GD)Turn your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:3 Lit of
- Proverbs 1:4 Or naive
- Proverbs 1:7 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
- Proverbs 1:7 One who lacks wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; so in Prov
- Proverbs 1:8 Or law
- Proverbs 1:9 Lit necklaces
- Proverbs 1:14 Lit in the midst of us
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit in vain
- Proverbs 1:17 Lit possessor of wing
- Proverbs 1:18 Lit souls
- Proverbs 1:19 Lit soul
- Proverbs 1:22 One who fails in wisdom due to willful sin
- 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 3:1 Or instruction
- Proverbs 3:6 Lit know
- Proverbs 3:8 Lit navel
- Proverbs 3:11 Or instruction
- Proverbs 3:15 Or corals
- Proverbs 3:26 Or at your side
- Proverbs 3:27 Lit its owners
- Proverbs 3:29 Lit evil
- Proverbs 3:30 Lit evil
- Proverbs 3:35 Or He raises fools up in dishonor
- Proverbs 4:2 Lit good
- Proverbs 4:2 Or law
- Proverbs 4:7 Or The primary thing is wisdom
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit their sleep is robbed
- Proverbs 4:19 Or may stumble
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