Proverbs 2:1–4:7
The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security
1 My son, if you will areceive my words
And btreasure my commandments within you,
2 aMake your ear attentive to wisdom,
Incline your heart to understanding;
3 For if you cry for discernment,
1Lift your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as asilver
And search for her as for bhidden treasures;
5 Then you will discern the afear of the Lord
And discover the knowledge of God.
6 For athe Lord gives wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a ashield to those who walk in integrity,
8 Guarding the paths of justice,
And He apreserves the way of His godly ones.
9 Then you will discern arighteousness and justice
And equity and every bgood course.
10 For awisdom will enter your heart
And bknowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 Discretion will aguard you,
Understanding will watch over you,
12 To adeliver you from the way of evil,
From the man who speaks bperverse things;
13 From those who aleave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the bways of darkness;
14 Who adelight in doing evil
And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
15 Whose paths are acrooked,
And who are devious in their ways;
16 To adeliver you from the strange woman,
From the 1badulteress who flatters with her words;
17 That leaves the acompanion of her youth
And forgets the bcovenant of her God;
18 For aher house 1sinks down to death
And her tracks lead to the 2dead;
19 None awho go to her return again,
Nor do they reach the bpaths of life.
20 So you will awalk in the way of good men
And keep to the bpaths of the righteous.
21 For athe upright will 1live in the land
And bthe blameless will remain in it;
22 But athe wicked will be cut off from the land
And bthe treacherous will be cuprooted from it.
1 My son, ado not forget my 1teaching,
But let your heart bkeep my commandments;
2 For alength of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.
3 Do not let akindness and truth leave you;
bBind them around your neck,
cWrite them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will afind favor and bgood 1repute
In the sight of God and man.
5 aTrust in the Lord with all your heart
And bdo not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways aacknowledge Him,
And He will bmake your paths straight.
7 aDo not be wise in your own eyes;
bFear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 It will be ahealing to your 1body
And brefreshment to your bones.
9 aHonor the Lord from your wealth
And from the bfirst of all your produce;
10 So your abarns will be filled with plenty
And your bvats will overflow with new wine.
11 aMy son, do not reject the 1discipline of the Lord
Or loathe His reproof,
12 For awhom the Lord loves He reproves,
Even bas a father corrects the son in whom he delights.
13 aHow blessed is the man who finds wisdom
And the man who gains understanding.
14 For her aprofit is better than the profit of silver
And her gain better than fine gold.
15 She is amore precious than 1jewels;
And nothing you desire compares with her.
16 1aLong life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are briches and honor.
17 Her aways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are bpeace.
18 She is a atree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.
19 The Lord aby wisdom founded the earth,
By understanding He bestablished the heavens.
20 By His knowledge the adeeps were broken up
And the bskies drip with dew.
21 My son, alet them not 1vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 So they will be alife to your soul
And badornment to your neck.
23 Then you will awalk in your way securely
And your foot will not bstumble.
24 When you alie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 aDo not be afraid of sudden fear
Nor of the 1bonslaught of the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be 1your confidence
And will akeep your foot from being caught.
27 aDo not withhold good from 1those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.
28 aDo not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it,”
When you have it with you.
29 aDo not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.
30 aDo not contend with a man without cause,
If he has done you no harm.
31 aDo not envy a man of violence
And do not choose any of his ways.
32 For the adevious are an abomination to the Lord;
But 1He is bintimate with the upright.
33 The acurse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked,
But He bblesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Though aHe scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet bHe gives grace to the afflicted.
35 aThe wise will inherit honor,
But fools 1display dishonor.
1 Hear, O sons, the ainstruction of a father,
And bgive attention that you may 1gain understanding,
2 For I give you 1sound ateaching;
bDo not abandon my 2instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
aTender and bthe only son in the sight of my mother,
4 Then he ataught me and said to me,
“Let your heart bhold fast my words;
cKeep my commandments and live;
5 aAcquire wisdom! bAcquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
aLove her, and she will watch over you.
7 “aThe 1beginning of wisdom is: bAcquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.