Proverbs 2
World English Bible
2 My son, if you will receive my words,
and store up my commandments within you,
2 so as to turn your ear to wisdom,
and apply your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for discernment,
and lift up your voice for understanding;
4 if you seek her as silver,
and search for her as for hidden treasures:
5 then you will understand the fear of Yahweh,
and find the knowledge of God.[a]
6 For Yahweh gives wisdom.
Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
7 He lays up sound wisdom for the upright.
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
8 that he may guard the paths of justice,
and preserve the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
equity and every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter into your heart.
Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you,
12 to deliver you from the way of evil,
from the men who speak perverse things,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness,
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice to do evil,
and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 who are crooked in their ways,
and wayward in their paths,
16 to deliver you from the strange woman,
even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,
17 who forsakes the friend of her youth,
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house leads down to death,
her paths to the departed spirits.
19 None who go to her return again,
neither do they attain to the paths of life.
20 So you may walk in the way of good men,
and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will dwell in the land.
The perfect will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land.
The treacherous will be rooted out of it.
Footnotes
- 2:5 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
Proverbs 2
American Standard Version
2 My son, if thou wilt receive my words,
And lay up my commandments with thee;
2 So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom,
And apply thy heart to understanding;
3 Yea, if thou cry after discernment,
And lift up thy voice for understanding;
4 If thou seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hid treasures:
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah,
And find the knowledge of God.
6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom;
Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding:
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright;
[a]He is a shield to them that walk in integrity;
8 [b]That he may guard the paths of justice,
[c]And preserve the way of his saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and justice,
And equity, yea, every good path.
10 For wisdom shall enter into thy heart,
And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Discretion shall watch over thee;
Understanding shall keep thee:
12 To deliver thee from the way of [d]evil,
From the men that speak perverse things;
13 Who forsake the paths of uprightness,
To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice to do evil,
And delight in the perverseness of [e]evil;
15 Who are crooked in their ways,
And wayward in their paths:
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman,
Even from the foreigner that [f]flattereth with her words;
17 That forsaketh the [g]friend of her youth,
And forgetteth the covenant of her God:
18 For [h]her house inclineth unto death,
And her paths unto [i]the dead;
19 None that go unto her return again,
Neither do they attain unto the paths of life:
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men,
And keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the [j]land,
And the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land,
[k]And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:7 Or, And a shield for etc.
- Proverbs 2:8 Or, That they may keep
- Proverbs 2:8 Or, Yea, he preserveth
- Proverbs 2:12 Or, the evil man
- Proverbs 2:14 Or, the evil man
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew maketh smooth her words.
- Proverbs 2:17 Or, guide
- Proverbs 2:18 Or, she sinketh down unto death, which is her house
- Proverbs 2:18 Or, the shades. Hebrew Rephaim.
- Proverbs 2:21 Or, earth
- Proverbs 2:22 Or, earth
Proverbs 3:13-24
World English Bible
13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gets understanding.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver,
and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies.
None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand.
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness.
All her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.
Happy is everyone who retains her.
19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth.
By understanding, he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge, the depths were broken up,
and the skies drop down the dew.
21 My son, let them not depart from your eyes.
Keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 so they will be life to your soul,
and grace for your neck.
23 Then you shall walk in your way securely.
Your foot won’t stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
Proverbs 3:13-24
American Standard Version
13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
And the man that [a]getteth understanding.
14 For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver,
And the profit thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies:
And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
And happy is every one that retaineth her.
19 Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth;
By understanding he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths were broken up,
And the skies drop down the dew.
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 [b]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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:13 Hebrew draweth forth.
- Proverbs 3:23 Hebrew thou shalt not dash thy foot.
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