58 Heb “discipline.”
59 The construction uses two imperatives joined with the vav (ו); this is a volitive sequence in which result or consequence is being expressed.
60 Heb “the man.”
61 The form לִשְׁקֹד (lishqod) is the infinitive construct serving epexegetically in the sentence. It explains how the person will listen to wisdom.
62 Heb “keeping” or “guarding.”
63 Heb “at the posts of my doors” (so , ).
64 The Kethib reads plurals: “those who find me are finders of life”; this is reflected in the and . But the Qere is singular: “whoever finds me finds life.” The Qere is generally favored as the original reading in such cases as these.
65 The preterite with vav (ו) consecutive carries the same nuance as the perfect tense that came before it, setting out the timeless principle.
66 Heb “the one sinning [against] me.” The verb חָטָא (khata’, “to sin”) forms a contrast with “find” in the previous verse, and so has its basic meaning of “failing to find, miss.” So it is talking about the one who misses wisdom, as opposed to the one who finds it.
67 The Qal active participle functions verbally here. The word stresses both social and physical harm and violence. Brings harm. Whoever tries to live without wisdom is inviting all kinds of disaster into his life.
68 Heb “his soul.”
69 The basic idea of the verb שָׂנֵא (sane’, “to hate”) is that of rejection. Its antonym is also used in the line, “love,” which has the idea of choosing. So not choosing (i.e., hating) wisdom amounts to choosing (i.e., loving) death.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Hear instruction and be wise,

and do not neglect it.

Blessed is the one who listens to me,

watching daily at my gates,

waiting beside my doors.

For whoever finds me finds life

and obtains favor from the Lord,

but he who fails to find me injures himself;

all who hate me love death.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Listen to my instruction and be wise;

do not disregard it.

Blessed are those who listen to me,

watching daily at my doors,

waiting at my doorway.

For those who find me find life

and receive favor from the Lord.

But those who fail to find me harm themselves;

all who hate me love death.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Listen to instruction and be wise;

don’t ignore it.

Anyone who listens to me is happy,

watching at my doors every day,

waiting by the posts of my doorway.

For the one who finds me finds life

and obtains favor from the Lord,

but the one who misses me harms himself;

all who hate me love death.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Listen to my instruction and be wise.

Don’t ignore it.

Joyful are those who listen to me,

watching for me daily at my gates,

waiting for me outside my home!

For whoever finds me finds life

and receives favor from the Lord.

But those who miss me injure themselves.

All who hate me love death.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Hear teaching and be wise;

do not neglect it.

Happy is the person who listens to me,

in order to keep watch at my doors day by day,

in order to guard the frames of my entrances.

For he who finds me is he who finds life,

and he obtains favor from Yahweh.

But he who misses me injures himself.

All those who hate me love death.”

KJV 1900King James Version

Hear instruction, and be wise,

And refuse it not.

Blessed is the man that heareth me,

Watching daily at my gates,

Waiting at the posts of my doors.

For whoso findeth me findeth life,

And shall obtain favour of the Lord.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul:

All they that hate me love death.

Public Domain