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Proverbs 2-4
English Standard Version
Proverbs 2-4
English Standard Version
The Value of Wisdom
2 (A)My son, (B)if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
3 yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice (C)for understanding,
4 if you seek it like (D)silver
and search for it as for (E)hidden treasures,
5 then (F)you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.
6 For (G)the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is (H)a shield to those who (I)walk in integrity,
8 guarding the paths of justice
and (J)watching over the way of his (K)saints.
9 (L)Then you will understand (M)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 (N)discretion will (O)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 (P)walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who (Q)rejoice in doing evil
and (R)delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose (S)paths are crooked,
(T)and who are (U)devious in their ways.
16 So (V)you will be delivered from the forbidden[a] woman,
from (W)the adulteress[b] with (X)her smooth words,
17 who forsakes (Y)the companion of her youth
and forgets (Z)the covenant of her God;
18 (AA)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 (AB)will inhabit the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be (AC)cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be (AD)rooted out of it.
Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
3 (AE)My son, do not forget my teaching,
(AF)but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for (AG)length of days and years of life
and (AH)peace they will add to you.
3 Let not (AI)steadfast love and (AJ)faithfulness forsake you;
(AK)bind them around your neck;
(AL)write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will (AM)find favor and (AN)good success[d]
in the sight of God and man.
5 (AO)Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and (AP)do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways (AQ)acknowledge him,
and he (AR)will make straight your paths.
7 (AS)Be not wise in your own eyes;
(AT)fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be (AU)healing to your flesh[e]
and (AV)refreshment[f] to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with (AW)the firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your (AX)barns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
11 (AY)My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as (AZ)a father the son in whom he delights.
Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom
13 (BA)Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
14 (BB)for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than (BC)gold.
15 She is more precious than (BD)jewels,
and (BE)nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 (BF)Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are (BG)riches and honor.
17 Her (BH)ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is (BI)a tree of life to those who (BJ)lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.
19 (BK)The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding (BL)he established the heavens;
20 by his knowledge (BM)the deeps broke open,
and (BN)the clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, (BO)do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be (BP)life for your soul
and (BQ)adornment for your neck.
23 (BR)Then you will walk on your way securely,
(BS)and your foot will not stumble.
24 (BT)If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, (BU)your sleep will be sweet.
25 (BV)Do not be afraid of sudden terror
or of (BW)the ruin[g] of the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
and will (BX)keep your foot from being caught.
27 (BY)Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,[h]
when it is in your power to do it.
28 (BZ)Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
29 (CA)Do not plan evil against your neighbor,
who (CB)dwells trustingly beside you.
30 (CC)Do not contend with a man for no reason,
when he has done you no harm.
31 (CD)Do not envy (CE)a man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for (CF)the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are (CG)in his confidence.
33 (CH)The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he (CI)blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Toward the (CJ)scorners he (CK)is scornful,
(CL)but to the humble he gives favor.[i]
35 The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get[j] disgrace.
A Father's Wise Instruction
4 (CM)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
and be attentive, that you may (CN)gain[k] insight,
2 for I give you good (CO)precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
(CP)tender, (CQ)the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he (CR)taught me and said to me,
(CS)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
(CT)keep my commandments, and live.
5 (CU)Get wisdom; get (CV)insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
(CW)love her, and she will guard you.
7 (CX)The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get (CY)insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will (CZ)honor you (DA)if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (DB)a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
10 (DC)Hear, (DD)my son, and accept my words,
that (DE)the years of your life may be many.
11 I have (DF)taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, (DG)your step will not be hampered,
and (DH)if you run, you will not stumble.
13 (DI)Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your (DJ)life.
14 (DK)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (DL)cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
(DM)and drink the wine of violence.
18 But (DN)the path of the righteous is like (DO)the light of dawn,
which shines (DP)brighter and brighter until (DQ)full day.
19 (DR)The way of the wicked is like deep (DS)darkness;
they do not know over what they (DT)stumble.
20 (DU)My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (DV)Let them not escape from your sight;
(DW)keep them within your heart.
22 For they are (DX)life to those who find them,
and healing to all their[l] flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for (DY)from it flow (DZ)the springs of life.
24 Put away from you (EA)crooked speech,
and put (EB)devious talk far from you.
25 (EC)Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 (ED)Ponder[m] the path of your feet;
(EE)then all your ways will be sure.
27 (EF)Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew strange
- Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew foreign woman
- Proverbs 2:18 Hebrew to the Rephaim
- Proverbs 3:4 Or repute
- Proverbs 3:8 Hebrew navel
- Proverbs 3:8 Or medicine
- Proverbs 3:25 Hebrew storm
- Proverbs 3:27 Hebrew Do not withhold good from its owners
- Proverbs 3:34 Or grace
- Proverbs 3:35 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
- Proverbs 4:22 Hebrew his
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
Proverbs 2-4
New International Version
Proverbs 2-4
New International Version
Moral Benefits of Wisdom
2 My son,(A) if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding(B)—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God.(E)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)
7 He holds success in store for the upright,
he is a shield(H) to those whose walk is blameless,(I)
8 for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.(J)
9 Then you will understand(K) what is right and just
and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(L)
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.(M)
12 Wisdom will save(N) you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,(O)
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,(P)
15 whose paths are crooked(Q)
and who are devious in their ways.(R)
16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,(S)
from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a](T)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
and her paths to the spirits of the dead.(U)
19 None who go to her return
or attain the paths of life.(V)
20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,(W)
and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked(X) will be cut off from the land,(Y)
and the unfaithful will be torn from it.(Z)
Wisdom Bestows Well-Being
3 My son,(AA) do not forget my teaching,(AB)
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years(AC)
and bring you peace and prosperity.(AD)
3 Let love and faithfulness(AE) never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.(AF)
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.(AG)
5 Trust in the Lord(AH) with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths(AI) straight.[b](AJ)
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;(AK)
fear the Lord(AL) and shun evil.(AM)
8 This will bring health to your body(AN)
and nourishment to your bones.(AO)
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits(AP) of all your crops;
10 then your barns will be filled(AQ) to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.(AR)
11 My son,(AS) do not despise the Lord’s discipline,(AT)
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,(AU)
as a father the son he delights in.[c](AV)
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold.(AW)
15 She is more precious than rubies;(AX)
nothing you desire can compare with her.(AY)
16 Long life is in her right hand;(AZ)
in her left hand are riches and honor.(BA)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.(BB)
18 She is a tree of life(BC) to those who take hold of her;
those who hold her fast will be blessed.(BD)
19 By wisdom(BE) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,(BF)
by understanding he set the heavens(BG) in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son,(BH) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(BI)
preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(BJ)
an ornament to grace your neck.(BK)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(BL)
and your foot will not stumble.(BM)
24 When you lie down,(BN) you will not be afraid;(BO)
when you lie down, your sleep(BP) will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the Lord will be at your side(BQ)
and will keep your foot(BR) from being snared.(BS)
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you.(BT)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.(BU)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
when they have done you no harm.
31 Do not envy(BV) the violent
or choose any of their ways.
32 For the Lord detests the perverse(BW)
but takes the upright into his confidence.(BX)
33 The Lord’s curse(BY) is on the house of the wicked,(BZ)
but he blesses the home of the righteous.(CA)
34 He mocks(CB) proud mockers(CC)
but shows favor to the humble(CD) and oppressed.
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools get only shame.
Get Wisdom at Any Cost
4 Listen, my sons,(CE) to a father’s instruction;(CF)
pay attention and gain understanding.(CG)
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(CH) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(CI)
5 Get wisdom,(CJ) get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(CK)
love her, and she will watch over you.(CL)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[d] wisdom.
Though it cost all(CM) you have,[e] get understanding.(CN)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.(CO)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.(CP)”
10 Listen, my son,(CQ) accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.(CR)
11 I instruct(CS) you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.(CT)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.(CU)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.(CV)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.(CW)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(CX)
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.(CY)
18 The path of the righteous(CZ) is like the morning sun,(DA)
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(DB)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(DC)
they do not know what makes them stumble.(DD)
20 My son,(DE) pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.(DF)
21 Do not let them out of your sight,(DG)
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.(DH)
23 Above all else, guard(DI) your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.(DJ)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes(DK) look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[f] paths for your feet(DL)
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;(DM)
keep your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God
- Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths
- Proverbs 3:12 Hebrew; Septuagint loves, / and he chastens everyone he accepts as his child
- Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
- Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.