Proverbs 2 - 3 — Legacy Standard Bible

Yahweh Gives Wisdom

2My son, if you will ^areceive my wordsAnd ^btreasure my commandments within you,²^aTo make your ear pay attention to wisdom,Incline your heart to discernment;³For if you call out for understanding,Give your voice for discernment;⁴If you seek her as ^asilverAnd search for her as for ^bhidden treasures;⁵Then you will understand the ^afear of YahwehAnd find the knowledge of God.⁶For ^aYahweh gives wisdom;From His mouth come knowledge and discernment.⁷He stores up sound wisdom for the upright,A ^ashield to those who walk in integrity,⁸To guard the paths of justice,And He ^akeeps the way of His holy ones.⁹Then you will understand ^arighteousness and justiceAnd equity—every ^bgood track.¹⁰For ^awisdom will enter your heartAnd ^bknowledge will be pleasant to your soul;¹¹Discretion will ^akeep you,Discernment will guard you,¹²To ^adeliver you from the way of evil,From the man who speaks ^bperverse things;¹³From those who ^aforsake the paths of uprightnessTo walk in the ^bways of darkness;¹⁴Who are ^aglad to do evilAnd they rejoice in the perversity of evil;¹⁵Whose paths are ^acrooked,And who are devious in their tracks;¹⁶To deliver you from the ¹^,^astrange woman,From the ²^,^bforeign woman who flatters with her words;¹⁷Who forsakes the close ^acompanion of her youthAnd forgets the ^bcovenant of her God;¹⁸For ^aher house ¹sinks down to deathAnd her tracks descend to the ²dead;¹⁹All ^awho go to her will not return,And they will not reach the ^bpaths of life.²⁰So that you will ^awalk in the way of good menAnd keep to the ^bpaths of the righteous.²¹For ^athe upright will dwell in the landAnd ^bthe blameless will remain in it;²²But ^athe wicked will be cut off from the landAnd ^bthe treacherous will be ^ctorn away from it.

Trust, Fear, and Honor Yahweh

3My son, ^ado not forget my ¹law,But let your heart ^bguard my commandments;²For ^alength of days and years of lifeAnd peace they will add to you.³Do not let ^alovingkindness and truth forsake you;^bBind them around your neck,^cWrite them on the tablet of your heart.⁴So you will ^afind favor and ^bgood insightIn the eyes of God and man.⁵^aTrust in Yahweh with all your heartAnd ^bdo not lean on your own understanding.⁶In all your ways ¹^,^aacknowledge Him,And He will ^bmake your paths straight.⁷^aDo not be wise in your own eyes;^bFear Yahweh and turn away from evil.⁸It will be ^ahealing to your ¹bodyAnd ^brefreshment to your bones.⁹^aHonor Yahweh from your wealthAnd from the ^bfirst of all your produce;¹⁰So your ^abarns will be filled with plentyAnd your ^bvats will burst with new wine.¹¹^aMy son, do not reject the ¹discipline of YahwehOr loathe His reproof,¹²For ^awhom Yahweh loves He reproves,Even ^bas a father reproves the son in whom he delights.¹³^aHow blessed is the man who finds wisdomAnd the man who obtains discernment.¹⁴For her ^aprofit is better than the profit of silverAnd her produce better than fine gold.¹⁵She is ^amore precious than ¹pearls;And nothing you desire compares with her.¹⁶^aLength of days is in her right hand;In her left hand are ^briches and glory.¹⁷Her ^aways are pleasant waysAnd all her pathways are ^bpeace.¹⁸She is a ^atree of life to those who seize her,And all those who hold her fast are blessed.¹⁹Yahweh ^aby wisdom founded the earth,By discernment He ^bestablished the heavens.²⁰By His knowledge the ^adeeps were split upAnd the ^bskies drip with dew.²¹My son, ^alet them not deviate from your eyes;Guard sound wisdom and discretion,²²So they will be ^alife for your soulAnd ^bgrace for your neck.²³Then you will ^awalk in your way securelyAnd your foot will not ^bstumble.²⁴When you ^alie down, you will not be in dread;You will lie down, and your sleep will be pleasant.²⁵^aDo not be afraid of sudden dreadNor of the ^bstorm of the wicked when it comes;²⁶For Yahweh will be ¹your confidenceAnd will ^akeep your foot from being caught.²⁷^aDo not withhold good from ¹those to whom it is due,When it is in your hand to do it.²⁸^aDo not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,And tomorrow I will give it,”When it is there with you.²⁹^aDo not devise ¹harm against your neighbor,While he lives securely beside you.³⁰^aDo not contend with a man without cause,If he has dealt you no ¹harm.³¹^aDo not envy a man of violenceAnd do not choose any of his ways.³²For the ^adevious one is an abomination to Yahweh;But His ^bsecret council is with the upright.³³The ^acurse of Yahweh is on the house of the wicked one,But He ^bblesses the abode of the righteous.³⁴Though ^aHe scoffs at the scoffers,Yet ^bHe gives grace to the humble.³⁵^aThe wise will inherit glory,But ¹fools raise up disgrace.