Proverbs 2

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom

1 My child,t ifs you receive my words,
and store ups my commands within you,

2 by makingt your ears attentive to wisdom,
andt by turningt your heartt to understanding,

3 indeed, ift you call out fort discernments –
raise your voicet for understanding –

4 ift you seekt it like silver,s
and search for its like hidden treasure,

5 then you will understandt how to fear the Lord,t
and you will discovert knowledget about God.t

6 Fort the Lord givest wisdom,
and from his mouths comest knowledge and understanding.

7 He stores upss effective counselt for the upright,s
and is liket a shieldt for those who livet with integrity,t

8 to guardt the paths of the righteoust
and to protectt the way of his pious ones.st

9 Then you will understandt righteousness and justice
and equity – everyt goodt way.t

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,t
and moral knowledget will be attractivet to you.t

11 Discretiont will protect you,t
understanding will guard you,

12 to delivert you from the way of the wicked,t
from thoset speaking perversity,t

13 who leavet the uprightt paths
to walk on the darkt ways,

14 who delightt in doingt evil,t
they rejoice in perverse evil;t

15 whose pathst are morally crooked,t
and who are devioust in their ways;

16 to deliver yous from the adulteress,t
from the sexually loose womant who speaks flatteringt words;ts

17 who leavest the husbandt from her younger days,t
and forgets her marriage covenantt made before God.t

18 For her houset sinkss down to death,
and her paths leadt to the place of the departed spirits.t

19 None who go in to her will return,t
nor will they reach the paths of life.s

20 Sot you will walk in the way of good people,t
and will keep on the paths of the righteous.t

21 For the upright will reside in the land,
and those with integrityt will remain in it,

22 but the wickedt will be removedt from the land,
and the treacheroust will be torn awayt from it.

Proverbs 3

Exhortations to Seek Wisdom and Walk with the Lord

1 My child,t do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keept my commandments,

2 for they will providet a long and full life,t
and they will add well-beingt to you.

3 Do not let truth and mercyt leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.s

4 Then you will findt favor and good understanding,t
in the sight of God and people.t

5 Trusts in the Lord with all your heart,s
and do not relyt on your own understanding.t

6 Acknowledget him in all your ways,t
and he will make your paths straight.t

7 Do not be wise in your own estimation;t
fear the Lord and turn away from evil.s

8 This will bringt healing to your body,s
and refreshmentt to your inner self.t

9 Honort the Lord from your wealth
and from the first fruits of all your crops;t

10 then your barns will be filled completely,t
and your vatss will overflowt with new wine.

11 My child, do not despise discipline from the Lord,t
and do not loathet his rebuke.

12 For the Lord disciplinest those he loves,
just as a fathers disciplinest the son in whom he delights.

Blessings of Obtaining Wisdom

13 Blessedt is the onet who findst wisdom,
and the one who obtainst understanding.

14 For hert benefitt is more profitablet than silver,
and hert gaint is bettert than gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies,
and none of the thingst you desiret can comparet with her.t

16 Long lifet is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are very pleasant,t
and all her paths are peaceful.

18 She is liket a tree of lifes to those who obtain her,t
and everyone who grasps hold of her will be blessed.t

19 By wisdom the Lord laid the foundation of the earth;t
he established the heavens by understanding.s

20 By his knowledge the primordial seas was broken open,s
and the clouds drip down dew.s

21 My child, do not let themt escape from your sight;
safeguard sound wisdom and discretion.t

22 Sot they will givet life to you,t
and grace to adornt your neck.t

23 Then you will walk on your wayt with security,
and yout will not stumble.s

24 Whent you lie down you will not be filled with fear;t
whent you lie down your sleep will be pleasant.t

25 You will not be afraidt of suddent disaster,t
or when destruction overtakest the wicked;t

26 for the Lord will bett the source of your confidence,t
and he will guard your foots from being caught in a trap.t

Wisdom Demonstrated in Relationships with People

27 Do not withhold good from those who need it,t
whent youst have the abilityt to help.t

28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go! Return tomorrow
and I will give it,” whent you have it with you at the time.t

29 Do not plots evil against your neighbor
whent he dwells by you unsuspectingly.

30 Do not accuses anyonet without legitimate cause,t
if he has not treated you wrongly.

31 Do not envy a violent man,t
and do not choose to imitatet any of his ways;

32 for one who goes astrayt is an abominationt to the Lord,
but he revealst his intimate counselt to the upright.

33 The Lord’s curset is on the householdt of the wicked,s
but he blessess the homet of the righteous.t

34 Althought he is scornful to arrogant scoffers,t
yett he shows favor to the humble.t

35 The wise inherit honor,
but he holds fools ups to public contempt.t

Proverbs 4

Admonition to Follow Righteousness and Avoid Wickedness

1 Listen, children,t to a father’s instruction,t
and pay attention so thatt you may gaint discernment.

2 Because I givet you good instruction,t
do not forsake my teaching.

3 When I was a son to my father,t
a tender only childst before my mother,

4 he taught me, and he said to me:
“Let your heart lay hold of my words;
keep my commands so thatt you will live.

5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding;
do not forget and do not turn aside from the words I speak.ts

6 Do not forsake wisdom,t and she will protect you;
love her, and she will guard you.

7 Wisdom is supremet – sot acquire wisdom,
and whatever you acquire,t acquire understanding!s

8 Esteem her highlyt and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.

9 She will place a fairs garland on your head;
she will bestowt a beautiful crowns on you.”

10 Listen, my child,t and accept my words,
so thatt the years of your life will be many.t

11 I will guide youts in the way of wisdom
and I will lead you in upright paths.t

12 When you walk, your stepsss will not be hampered,s
and when you run,s you will not stumble.

13 Hold on to instruction,t do not let it go;
protect it,t because it is your life.

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked
or walkt in the way of those who are evil.

15 Avoid it, do not go on it;
turn away from it, and go on.s

16 For they cannot sleep unless they cause harm;s
they are robbed of sleeps until they make someone stumble.s

17 For they eat breadt gained from wickednesst
and drink wine obtained from violence.t

18 But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light,t
growing brighter and brightert until full day.t

19 The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness;s
they do not know what causes them to stumble.t

20 My child, pay attention to my words;
listen attentivelyts to my sayings.

21 Do not let them departt from your sight,
guardt them within your heart;s

22 for they are life to those who find them
and healing to one’s entire body.t

23 Guard your heart with all vigilance,t
for from it are the sourcess of life.

24 Remove perverse speechts from your mouth;t
keep devious talk far from your lips.t

25 Let your eyes look directlyt in front of you
and let your gazet look straight before you.

26 Make the path for your feett level,s
so thatt all your ways may be established.t

27 Do not turns to the right or to the left;
turn yourselft away from evil.s