Proverbs 2-3

English Standard Version

The Value of Wisdom

2 ^(A)My son, ^(B)if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
²making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
³yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice ^(C)for understanding,
⁴if you seek it like ^(D)silver
    and search for it as for ^(E)hidden treasures,
⁵then ^(F)you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶For ^(G)the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
⁷he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is ^(H)a shield to those who ^(I)walk in integrity,
⁸guarding 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;
¹⁰for 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,
¹²delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
¹³who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to ^(P)walk in the ways of darkness,
¹⁴who ^(Q)rejoice in doing evil
    and ^(R)delight in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵men whose ^(S)paths are crooked,
    ^(T)and who are ^(U)devious in their ways.

¹⁶So ^(V)you will be delivered from the forbidden^[a] woman,
    from ^(W)the adulteress^[b] with ^(X)her smooth words,
¹⁷who 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]
¹⁹none who go to her come back,
    nor do they regain the paths of life.

²⁰So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹For the upright ^(AB)will inhabit the land,
    and those with integrity will remain in it,
²²but 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,
²for ^(AG)length of days and years of life
and ^(AH)peace they will add to you.

³Let not ^(AI)steadfast love and ^(AJ)faithfulness forsake you;
    ^(AK)bind them around your neck;
    ^(AL)write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴So 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.
⁶In 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.
⁸It will be ^(AU)healing to your flesh^[e]
    and ^(AV)refreshment^[f] to your bones.

⁹Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with ^(AW)the firstfruits of all your produce;
¹⁰then 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,
¹²for 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.
¹⁵She 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.
¹⁷Her ^(BH)ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸She 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;
²⁰by his knowledge ^(BM)the deeps broke open,
and ^(BN)the clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, ^(BO)do not lose sight of these—
    keep sound wisdom and discretion,
²²and 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,
²⁶for 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,
³²for ^(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.
³⁴Toward the ^(CJ)scorners he ^(CK)is scornful,
    ^(CL)but to the humble he gives favor.^[i]
³⁵The wise will inherit honor,
    but fools get^[j] disgrace.