Proverbs 1:7
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 1:7
Common English Bible
7 Wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 2:6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.(A)
Proverbs 2:6
Common English Bible
6 The Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 3:13-20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Wisdom Brings Happiness
13 Happy is a man who finds wisdom(A)
and who acquires understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver,
and her revenue is better than gold.(B)
15 She is more precious than jewels;(C)
nothing you desire compares with her.(D)
16 Long life[a] is in her right hand;
in her left, riches and honor.(E)
17 Her ways are pleasant,(F)
and all her paths, peaceful.
18 She is a tree of life(G) to those who embrace her,
and those who hold on to her are happy.
19 The Lord founded the earth by wisdom(H)
and established the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the watery depths broke open,(I)
and the clouds dripped with dew.(J)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:16 Lit Length of days
Proverbs 3:13-20
Common English Bible
Value of wisdom
13 Happy are those who find wisdom
and those who gain understanding.
14 Her profit is better than silver,
and her gain better than gold.
15 Her value exceeds pearls;
all you desire can’t compare with her.
16 In her right hand is a long life;
in her left are wealth and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant;
all her paths are peaceful.
18 She is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
those who hold her tight are happy.
19 The Lord laid the foundations of the earth with wisdom,
establishing the heavens with understanding.
20 With his knowledge, the watery depths burst open,
and the skies drop dew.
Proverbs 4:5-13
Holman Christian Standard Bible
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;(A)
don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;
love her,(B) and she will guard you.
7 Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.
And whatever else you get, get understanding.(C)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you.(D)
9 She will place a garland of grace on your head;
she will give you a crown of beauty.”(E)
Two Ways of Life
10 Listen, my son. Accept my words,(F)
and you will live many years.(G)
11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom;
I am guiding you on straight paths.(H)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;(I)
when you run, you will not stumble.(J)
13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.(K)
Guard it, for it is your life.
Proverbs 4:5-13
Common English Bible
5 Get wisdom; get understanding.
Don’t forget and don’t turn away from my words.
6 Don’t abandon her, and she will guard you.
Love her, and she will protect you.
7 The beginning of wisdom:
Get wisdom!
Get understanding before anything else.
8 Highly esteem her, and she will exalt you.
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place a graceful wreath on your head;
she will give you a glorious crown.”
Stay on the path of wisdom
10 Listen, my son, and take in my speech,
then the years of your life will be many.
11 I teach you the path of wisdom.
I lead you in straight courses.
12 When you walk, you won’t be hindered;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction; don’t slack off;
protect it, for it is your life.
Proverbs 5:1-2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Avoid Seduction
5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen closely[a] to my understanding(A)
2 so that you may maintain discretion
and your lips safeguard knowledge.(B)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 5:1 Lit wisdom; stretch out your ear
Proverbs 5:1-2
Common English Bible
Avoid the mysterious woman
5 My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
Bend your ear to what I know,
2 so you might remain discreet,
and your lips might guard knowledge.
Proverbs 8:1-9:6
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Wisdom’s Appeal
8 Doesn’t Wisdom(A) call out?
Doesn’t Understanding make her voice heard?
2 At the heights overlooking the road,
at the crossroads, she takes her stand.
3 Beside the gates(B) at the entry to[a] the city,
at the main entrance, she cries out:
4 “People, I call out to you;
my cry is to mankind.
5 Learn to be shrewd, you who are inexperienced;
develop common sense, you who are foolish.
6 Listen, for I speak of noble things,
and what my lips say is right.
7 For my mouth tells the truth,(C)
and wickedness is detestable to my lips.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
none of them are deceptive or perverse.(D)
9 All of them are clear to the perceptive,(E)
and right to those who discover knowledge.
10 Accept my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.(F)
11 For wisdom is better than jewels,(G)
and nothing desirable can compare with it.(H)
12 I, Wisdom, share a home with shrewdness
and have knowledge and discretion.(I)
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil.(J)
I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct,
and perverse speech.
14 I possess good advice and competence;[b]
I have understanding and strength.(K)
15 It is by me that kings reign(L)
and rulers enact just law;
16 by me, princes lead,
as do nobles and all righteous judges.[c]
17 I love those who love me,(M)
and those who search for me find me.(N)
18 With me are riches and honor,(O)
lasting wealth and righteousness.(P)
19 My fruit is better than solid gold,
and my harvest than pure silver.(Q)
20 I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,
21 giving wealth as an inheritance to those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.
22 “The Lord made[d] me
at the beginning of His creation,[e]
before His works of long ago.(R)
23 I was formed before ancient times,
from the beginning, before the earth began.(S)
24 I was born
when there were no watery depths(T)
and no springs filled with water.
25 I was delivered
before the mountains and hills were established,(U)
26 before He made the land, the fields,
or the first soil on earth.
27 I was there when He established the heavens,(V)
when He laid out the horizon on the surface of the ocean,(W)
28 when He placed the skies above,
when the fountains of the ocean gushed out,
29 when He set a limit for the sea
so that the waters would not violate His command,(X)
when He laid out the foundations of the earth.(Y)
30 I was a skilled craftsman[f] beside Him.(Z)
I was His[g] delight every day,
always rejoicing before Him.
31 I was rejoicing in His inhabited world,(AA)
delighting in the human race.(AB)
32 “And now, my sons, listen to me;
those who keep my ways are happy.(AC)
33 Listen to instruction and be wise;(AD)
don’t ignore it.
34 Anyone who listens to me is happy,(AE)
watching at my doors every day,
waiting by the posts of my doorway.
35 For the one who finds me finds life(AF)
and obtains favor from the Lord,(AG)
36 but the one who misses me[h] harms himself;(AH)
all who hate me love death.”(AI)
Wisdom versus Foolishness
9 Wisdom has built her house;(AJ)
she has carved out her seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat;(AK) she has mixed her wine;(AL)
she has also set her table.(AM)
3 She has sent out her female servants;(AN)
she calls out from the highest points of the city:(AO)
4 “Whoever is inexperienced, enter here!”
To the one who lacks sense,(AP) she says,
5 “Come, eat my bread,(AQ)
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave inexperience behind, and you will live;
pursue the way of understanding.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:3 Lit the mouth of
- Proverbs 8:14 Or resourcefulness
- Proverbs 8:16 Some Hb mss, LXX read nobles who judge the earth
- Proverbs 8:22 Or possessed, or begot
- Proverbs 8:22 Lit way
- Proverbs 8:30 Or a confidant, or a child, or was constantly
- Proverbs 8:30 LXX; MT omits His
- Proverbs 8:36 Or who sins against me
Proverbs 8:1-9:6
Common English Bible
Wisdom’s autobiography
8 Doesn’t Wisdom cry out
and Understanding shout?
2 Atop the heights along the path,
at the crossroads she takes her stand.
3 By the gate before the city,
at the entrances she shouts:
4 I cry out to you, people;
my voice goes out to all of humanity.
5 Understand skill, you who are naive.
Take this to heart, you fools.
6 Listen, for I speak things that are correct;
from my lips comes what is right.
7 My mouth utters the truth;
my lips despise wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are righteous;
nothing in them is twisted or crooked.
9 All of them are straightforward to those who understand,
and upright for the knowledgeable.
10 Take my instruction rather than silver,
knowledge rather than choice gold.
11 Wisdom is better than pearls;
nothing is more delightful than she.
12 I, Wisdom, dwell with prudence;
I have found knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil.
I hate pride and arrogance,
the path of evil and corrupt speech.
14 I have advice and ability,
as well as understanding and strength.
15 By me kings rule,
and princes issue righteous decrees.
16 By me rulers govern,
and officials judge righteously.[a]
17 I love those who love me;
those who seek me will find me.
18 Riches and honor are with me,
as well as enduring wealth and righteousness.
19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold;
my crops are better than choice silver.
20 I walk on the way of righteousness,
on the paths of justice,
21 to provide for those who love me
and to fill up their treasuries.
22 The Lord created me at the beginning of his way,
before his deeds long in the past.
23 I was formed in ancient times,
at the beginning, before the earth was.
24 When there were no watery depths, I was brought forth,
when there were no springs flowing with water.
25 Before the mountains were settled,
before the hills, I was brought forth;
26 before God[b] made the earth and the fields
or the first of the dry land.
27 I was there when he established the heavens,
when he marked out the horizon on the deep sea,
28 when he thickened the clouds above,
when he secured the fountains of the deep,
29 when he set a limit for the sea,
so the water couldn’t go beyond his command,
when he marked out the earth’s foundations.
30 I was beside him as a master of crafts.[c]
I was having fun,
smiling before him all the time,
31 frolicking with his inhabited earth
and delighting in the human race.
32 Now children, listen to me:
Happy are those who keep to my ways!
33 Listen to instruction, and be wise;
don’t avoid it.
34 Happy are those who listen to me,
watching daily at my doors,
waiting at my doorposts.
35 Those who find me find life;
they gain favor from the Lord.
36 Those who offend me injure themselves;
all those who hate me love death.
“Woman Wisdom’s” invitation
9 Wisdom built her house;
she has carved out her seven pillars.
2 She slaughtered her animals,
mixed her wine,
and set her table.
3 She sends out her female servants; she issues an invitation
from the top of the city heights:
4 “Whoever is naive turn aside here,”
she says to those who lack sense.
5 “Come, eat my food,
and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Abandon your simplistic ways and live;
walk in the way of understanding.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 8:16 Heb uncertain
- Proverbs 8:26 Heb lacks God.
- Proverbs 8:30 Heb uncertain
Proverbs 9:10-12
Holman Christian Standard Bible
10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,(A)
and the knowledge of the Holy One(B) is understanding.
11 For by Wisdom your days will be many,
and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, you are wise for your own benefit;(C)
if you mock, you alone will bear the consequences.”
Proverbs 9:10-12
Common English Bible
10 The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord;
the knowledge of the holy one is understanding.
11 Through me your days will be many;
years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, it is to your benefit;
if you are cynical, you will bear it all alone.
Proverbs 11:2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
2 When pride comes, disgrace follows,
but with humility comes wisdom.(A)
Proverbs 11:2
Common English Bible
2 When pride comes, so does shame,
but wisdom brings humility.
Proverbs 14:33
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:33 LXX reads unknown
Proverbs 14:33
Common English Bible
33 Wisdom resides in an understanding heart,
but it’s not[a] known in fools.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:33 LXX; MT lacks not.
Proverbs 15:33
Holman Christian Standard Bible
33 The fear of the Lord is what wisdom teaches,
and humility comes before honor.(A)
Proverbs 15:33
Common English Bible
33 The fear of the Lord is wise instruction,
and humility comes before respect.
Proverbs 16:16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
16 Get wisdom—
how much better it is than gold!
And get understanding—
it is preferable to silver.(A)
Proverbs 16:16
Common English Bible
16 Acquiring wisdom is much better than gold,
and acquiring understanding is better than silver.
Proverbs 17:24
Holman Christian Standard Bible
24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes(A) roam to the ends of the earth.
Proverbs 17:24
Common English Bible
24 Wisdom is right in front of those with understanding,
but the eyes of fools are off to the edges of the earth.
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