The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security

My son, if you will (A)receive my words
And (B)treasure my commandments within you,
(C)Make your ear attentive to wisdom;
Incline your heart to understanding.
For if you cry out for insight,
And [a]raise your voice for understanding;
If you seek her as (D)silver
And search for her as for (E)hidden treasures;
Then you will understand the (F)fear of the Lord,
And discover 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 a (H)shield to those who walk in integrity,
Guarding the paths of justice,
And He (I)watches over the way of His godly ones.
Then you will discern (J)righteousness, justice,
And integrity, and every (K)good path.
10 For (L)wisdom will enter your heart,
And (M)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
11 Discretion will (N)watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,
12 To (O)rescue you from the way of evil,
From a person who speaks (P)perverse things;
13 From those who (Q)leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the (R)ways of darkness;
14 Who (S)delight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are (T)crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
16 To (U)rescue you from the strange woman,
From the (V)foreign woman who flatters with her words,
17 Who leaves the (W)companion of her youth
And forgets the (X)covenant of her God;
18 For (Y)her house sinks down to death,
And her tracks lead to the [b]dead;
19 None (Z)who go to her return,
Nor do they reach the (AA)paths of life.
20 So you will (AB)walk in the way of good people
And keep to the (AC)paths of the righteous.
21 For (AD)the upright will live in the land,
And (AE)the blameless will remain in it;
22 But (AF)the wicked will be eliminated from the land,
And (AG)the treacherous will be (AH)torn away from it.

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Notas al pie

  1. Proverbs 2:3 Lit give
  2. Proverbs 2:18 Lit departed spirits

The Benefits of Embracing Wisdom

My son, if you accept my words,
and treasure my instructions[a]
making your ear attentive to wisdom,
    and turning your heart to understanding—
if, indeed, you call out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
    and search for it like hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and learn to know God.

For the Lord gives wisdom,
    and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright
    and is a shield to those who walk in integrity—
guarding the paths of the just
    and protecting the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right, just,
    and upright—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 Discretion[b] will protect you;
    understanding will watch over you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men who speak perverse things,
13 and from those who abandon the right[c] path
    to travel along the ways of darkness;
14 who delight in doing evil,
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil;
15 whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways,
16 delivering you from the adulteress,
    from the immoral[d] woman with her seductive words,
17 someone who abandoned the companion of her youth
        and forgot the covenant of her God.
18 For her house leads down to death,
    and her paths down to the realm of the dead.
19 None who go to her return,
nor do they reach the paths of life.

20 This is how you will walk in the way of good men
    and will keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will live in the land,
    and people of integrity will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.

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Notas al pie

  1. Proverbs 2:1 Lit. instructions within you
  2. Proverbs 2:11 Or Wise planning
  3. Proverbs 2:13 Lit. straight or upright
  4. Proverbs 2:16 Lit. foreign; i.e. one whose values are foreign to God’s Law

13 (A)Blessed is a person who finds wisdom,
And one who obtains understanding.
14 For [a]her (B)profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her produce better than gold.
15 She is (C)more precious than [b]jewels,
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 [c](D)Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are (E)riches and honor.
17 Her (F)ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are (G)peace.
18 She is a (H)tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are those who hold on to her.
19 The Lord founded the earth (I)by wisdom,
He (J)established the heavens by understanding.
20 By His knowledge the (K)ocean depths were burst open,
And the (L)clouds drip with dew.
21 My son, see that (M)they do not escape from your sight;
Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,
22 And they will be (N)life to your soul
And (O)adornment to your neck.
23 Then you will (P)walk in your way securely,
And your foot will not (Q)stumble.
24 When you (R)lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

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Notas al pie

  1. Proverbs 3:14 I.e., the profit from Wisdom (personified)
  2. Proverbs 3:15 Lit corals
  3. Proverbs 3:16 Lit Length of days

Wisdom More Valuable than Riches

13 How joyful is the man who finds wisdom,
    and the man who gains understanding,
14 because her profit is better than the profit of silver,
    and her yield than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
    and nothing you desire compares with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand,
    and in her left are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peaceful.
18 She is a tree of life for those who embrace her,
    and whoever clutches her tightly will be joyful.

19 By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,
    and by understanding he set the heavens in place.
20 By his knowledge the depths broke open,
    and the clouds drip with dew.

Benefits of Wisdom

21 My son, do not let wisdom[a] leave your sight.
    Carefully observe sound judgment and discernment,
22 and they will be life to you
    and a graceful ornament[b] for your neck.
23 Then you will travel safely on your way,
    and your foot will not stumble.
24 When you sit[c] down, you will not be afraid;
    when you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.[d]

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Notas al pie

  1. Proverbs 3:21 The Heb. lacks wisdom
  2. Proverbs 3:22 Lit. grace
  3. Proverbs 3:24 So LXX; MT reads lie
  4. Proverbs 3:24 Or sweet