Proverbs 2:7-22
Lexham English Bible
7 For the upright, he stores[a] sound judgment, a shield for those who walk uprightly,
8 in order to guard paths of justice
and keep[b] the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
and uprightness—every good course—
10 for wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul.[c]
11 Discretion will watch over you;
understanding will protect you,
12 in order to deliver you from the way of evil,[d]
from a man who speaks devious things—
13 those who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in ways of darkness,
14 those who are happy to do evil,
for they delight in the deviousness of evil,
15 who are crooked in their ways,[e]
and devious in their paths;
16 in order to deliver you from a strange woman,
from a foreign woman who flatters[f] with her sayings,
17 she who forsakes the partner of her youth
and has forgotten the covenant of her God,
18 for her house sinks to death,
and to the dead[g] are her paths.
19 Of all who go to her, none shall return,
nor do they reach paths of life.
20 So that you will walk on the road of those who are good,
and the paths of those who are righteous you shall keep.
21 For those who are upright will dwell in the land,[h]
and those who are blameless[i] will remain in it.
22 And those who are wicked will be cut off from the land,
and those who are treacherous will be uprooted from it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:7 Or “hides, keeps”
- Proverbs 2:8 Or “preserve, guard, watch”
- Proverbs 2:10 Or “inner self”
- Proverbs 2:12 Or “evildoer”
- Proverbs 2:15 Literally “that in their ways are crooked”
- Proverbs 2:16 Or “makes smooth”
- Proverbs 2:18 Or “Rephaim”
- Proverbs 2:21 Or “earth”
- Proverbs 2:21 Or “innocent”
Proverbs 2:7-22
English Standard Version
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is (A)a shield to those who (B)walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and (C)watching over the way of his (D)saints.
9 (E)Then you will understand (F)righteousness and justice
and equity, every good path;
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 (G)discretion will (H)watch over you,
understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
to (I)walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who (J)rejoice in doing evil
and (K)delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose (L)paths are crooked,
(M)and who are (N)devious in their ways.
16 So (O)you will be delivered from the forbidden[a] woman,
from (P)the adulteress[b] with (Q)her smooth words,
17 who forsakes (R)the companion of her youth
and forgets (S)the covenant of her God;
18 (T)for her house sinks down to death,
and her paths to the departed;[c]
19 none who go to her come back,
nor do they regain the paths of life.
20 So you will walk in the way of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright (U)will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be (V)cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be (W)rooted out of it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew strange
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew foreign woman
- Proverbs 2:18 Hebrew to the Rephaim
Proverbs 6:20-24
Lexham English Bible
Commandment and Instruction as Guardians
20 My child, keep the commandment of your father,
and do not disregard the instruction of your mother.
21 Bind them on your heart continually;
tie them upon your neck.
22 When you walk,[a] she[b] will lead you,
When you lie down,[c] she will watch over you,
and when you awake, she will converse with you.
23 For like a lamp is a commandment, and instruction is light,
and the way of life[d] is the reproof of discipline,
24 in order to preserve you from an evil woman,[e]
from the smoothness of the tongue of an adulteress.[f]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:22 Literally “In your walking”
- Proverbs 6:22 That is, “commandment” and “instruction”
- Proverbs 6:22 Literally “In your lying down”
- Proverbs 6:23 Hebrew “lives”
- Proverbs 6:24 Or “wife”
- Proverbs 6:24 Literally “a foreign woman”
Proverbs 6:20-24
English Standard Version
Warnings Against Adultery
20 (A)My son, keep your father's commandment,
(B)and forsake not your mother's teaching.
21 (C)Bind them on your heart always;
(D)tie them around your neck.
22 (E)When you walk, they[a] will lead you;
(F)when you lie down, they will (G)watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is (H)a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the (I)reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
24 to preserve you from the evil woman,[b]
from the smooth tongue of (J)the adulteress.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:22 Hebrew it; three times in this verse
- Proverbs 6:24 Revocalization (compare Septuagint) yields from the wife of a neighbor
- Proverbs 6:24 Hebrew the foreign woman
Proverbs 7:1-5
Lexham English Bible
Warning Against the Strange Woman
7 My child, guard my sayings;
store my commandments with you.
2 Keep my commands and live,
and my teaching like the apple of your eye.[a]
3 Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom,[b] “you are my sister,”
and you shall call insight,[c] “intimate friend.”[d]
5 In order to guard yourself from an adulteress,[e]
from the foreigner who makes her words smooth.[f]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:2 A single word meaning “pupil of the eye”
- Proverbs 7:4 Hebrew “the wisdom”
- Proverbs 7:4 Hebrew “the insight”
- Proverbs 7:4 Literally “one who is known.” To “know” is often a euphemism for intercourse. Therefore “intimate friend” may also be read “lover.”
- Proverbs 7:5 Literally “a strange woman”
- Proverbs 7:5 Literally “causes to be smooth her words”
Proverbs 7:1-5
English Standard Version
Warning Against the Adulteress
7 (A)My son, keep my words
and (B)treasure up my commandments with you;
2 (C)keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as (D)the apple of your eye;
3 (E)bind them on your fingers;
(F)write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
and call insight your intimate friend,
5 to keep you from (G)the forbidden[a] woman,
from (H)the adulteress[b] with her smooth words.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew strange
- Proverbs 7:5 Hebrew the foreign woman
Proverbs 10:19
Lexham English Bible
19 In many words, transgression is not lacking,
but he who restrains his lips is prudent.
Proverbs 10:19
English Standard Version
19 (A)When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
(B)but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.
Proverbs 14:3
Lexham English Bible
3 In the mouth of a fool is the rod of pride,
but the lips of the wise preserve them.
Proverbs 14:3
English Standard Version
3 By the mouth of a fool comes (A)a rod for his back,[a]
(B)but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 14:3 Or In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride
Proverbs 18:10
Lexham English Bible
10 A tower of strength is the name of Yahweh;
into him[a] the righteous will run and be safe.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 18:10 Or “it”
Proverbs 18:10
English Standard Version
Proverbs 21:23
Lexham English Bible
23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue,
he guards his life[a] from danger.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 21:23 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
Proverbs 21:23
English Standard Version
Proverbs 22:5
Lexham English Bible
5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
he who guards himself[a] will keep away from them.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:5 Or “soul,” or “life”
Proverbs 22:5
English Standard Version
5 (A)Thorns and snares are in the way of the crooked;
whoever (B)guards his soul will keep far from them.
Proverbs 22:24-25
Lexham English Bible
24 Do not befriend an owner[a] of anger,[b]
and with a man of wrath you shall not associate;
25 lest you learn his way
and become entangled in a snare to yourself.[c]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 22:24 Or “master”
- Proverbs 22:24 Literally “nostril”
- Proverbs 22:25 Or “soul,” or “inner self”
Proverbs 22:24-25
English Standard Version
24 Make no friendship with a man given to anger,
nor go with a wrathful man,
25 lest you learn his ways
and entangle yourself in a snare.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
