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to give shrewdness[a] to the simple,
    knowledge and purpose[b] to the young,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:4 Or “cleverness,” or “prudence”
  2. Proverbs 1:4 Or “plan”

To give prudence to the simple,
To the young man knowledge and discretion:

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21 My child, may they[a] not escape from your sight;[b]
    may you keep sound wisdom and prudence.
22 They shall be life for your soul[c]
    and adornment[d] for your neck.
23 Then you will walk in the confidence of your ways,
    and your foot will not stumble.
24 If you sit down, you will not panic,[e]
    and if you lie down, then your sleep shall be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden panic,[f]
    or the storm of wickedness that will come.
26 Yahweh will be your confidence[g]
    and guard your foot from capture.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:21 Grammatically, “they” most likely refers to clouds (3:20). In context, “they” may refer to wisdom and understanding (3:13).
  2. Proverbs 3:21 Literally “eyes”
  3. Proverbs 3:22 Or “inner self”
  4. Proverbs 3:22 Or “favor”
  5. Proverbs 3:24 Or “fear, dread”
  6. Proverbs 3:25 Or “fear, dread”
  7. Proverbs 3:26 Literally “in your confidence”

21 My son, let them not depart from thine eyes;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 So shall they be life unto thy soul,
And grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely,
And [a]thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:
Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
25 Be not afraid of sudden fear,
Neither of the [b]desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:
26 For Jehovah will be thy confidence,
And will keep thy foot from being taken.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:23 Hebrew thou shalt not dash thy foot.
  2. Proverbs 3:25 Or, storm

The Father’s Wisdom

Children, listen to the instruction of a father,
    and be attentive in order to know insight.
For I have given you good instruction;
    do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son to my father,
    tender and alone before my mother,
he taught me and said to me,
    “May your heart hold fast to my words;
    guard my commandments and live.
Get wisdom and insight;
    do not forget and do not turn from the sayings of my mouth.
Do not forsake her—then she will guard you;
    love her and she will keep you.
The beginning of wisdom: Get wisdom!
    With all that is in your possession, gain insight.

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Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father,
And attend to know understanding:
For I give you good doctrine;
Forsake ye not my [a]law.
For I was a son unto my father,
Tender and [b]only beloved in the sight of my mother.
And he taught me, and said unto me:
Let thy heart retain my words;
Keep my commandments, and live;
Get wisdom, get understanding;
Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee;
Love her, and she will keep thee.
[c]Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom;
Yea, with all [d]thy getting get understanding.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:2 Or, teaching
  2. Proverbs 4:3 Hebrew an only one.
  3. Proverbs 4:7 Or, The beginning of wisdom is, Get wisdom
  4. Proverbs 4:7 Or, thou hast gotten

My child, be attentive to my wisdom,
    and to my understanding incline your ear;
in order to keep prudence,
    and knowledge will guard your lips.

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My son, attend unto my wisdom;
Incline thine ear to my understanding:
That thou mayest preserve discretion,
And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

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Wisdom’s Banquet

Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slaughtered her slaughtering, mixed her wine,
    and also set her table.
She has sent her servant girls,[a] she calls
    upon the wings of the high places of town,
“Whoever is simple, let him turn here.”
    As for the one who lacks sense,[b] she says to him,
“Come, eat with my bread;
    drink with the wine I have mixed.
Lay aside simplicity and live;
    walk in the way of understanding.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:3 Or “young maidens”
  2. Proverbs 9:4 Literally “heart”

Wisdom hath builded her house;
She hath hewn out her seven pillars:
She hath killed her beasts; she hath mingled her wine;
She hath also furnished her table:
She hath sent forth her maidens;
She crieth upon the highest places of the city:
Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither:
As for him that is void of understanding, she saith to him,
Come, eat ye of my bread,
And drink of the wine which I have mingled.
[a]Leave off, ye simple ones, and live;
And walk in the way of understanding.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:6 Or, Forsake the simple

Foolishness’ Banquet

10 The start of wisdom is fear of Yahweh,
    and knowledge of the Holy One,[a] insight.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:10 Or “holy ones”

10 The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom;
And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

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The wisdom of the clever is understanding his ways,
    but the folly of fools is deceit.

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The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way;
But the folly of fools is deceit.

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15 The simple will believe every word,
    but the clever will consider his step.

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15 The simple believeth every word;
But the prudent man looketh well to his going.

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The plans of the diligent only lead to abundance,
    but all who are hasty, only to want.

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The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness;
But every one that is hasty hasteth only to want.

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The clever sees danger and hides,
    but the simple go on and suffer.

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A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself;
But the simple pass on, and [a]suffer for it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:3 Hebrew are mulcted.

23 Buy truth and do not sell it,
    wisdom and instruction and understanding.

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23 Buy the truth, and sell it not;
Yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.

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12 When the clever sees danger, he hides;
    the simple go on and suffer.

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12 A prudent man seeth the evil, and hideth himself;
But the simple pass on, and suffer for it.

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