Proverbs 2-4

Jubilee Bible 2000

2 ¶ My son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments within thee

² so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to intelligence,

³ yea, if thou criest for understanding and givest thy voice unto intelligence,

⁴ if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures,

⁵ then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom; out of his mouth comes knowledge and intelligence.

⁷ He keeps the person of the upright; he is a buckler to those that walk perfectly,

⁸ keeping the paths of judgment and the way of his merciful ones.

⁹ Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity, yea, every good path.

¹⁰ ¶ When wisdom enters into thine heart and knowledge is sweet unto thy soul,

¹¹ discretion shall preserve thee, intelligence shall keep thee

¹² to deliver thee from the evil way, from the man that speaks perversion,

¹³ who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,

¹⁴ who rejoice to do evil and delight in wicked perversion,

¹⁵ whose ways are crooked, and they are crooked in their paths;

¹⁶ to deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger who flatters with her words,

¹⁷ who forsakes the prince of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

¹⁸ Therefore her house inclines unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

¹⁹ None that go unto her return again, neither do they take hold of the paths of life.

²⁰ That thou may walk in the way of good men and keep the paths of the righteous.

²¹ For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

²² But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

3 ¶ My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments:

² For they shall add length of days and long life and peace unto thee.

³ Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the tablet of thine heart:

⁴ So shalt thou find grace and good favour in the sight of God and man.

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

⁷ ¶ Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.

⁸ It shall be medicine to thy navel and marrow to thy bones.

⁹ Honour the LORD with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

¹⁰ So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

¹¹ My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

¹² For the LORD chastens whom he loves and delights in, even as a father to his son.

¹³ ¶ Blessed is the man that has found wisdom and who brings to light intelligence,

¹⁴ for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the fruits thereof more than fine gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than precious stones, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour.

¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those that lay hold upon her, and blessed is every one that retains her.

¹⁹ The LORD by wisdom has founded the earth; by intelligence has he established the heavens.

²⁰ By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the heavens drop down the dew.

²¹ ¶ My son, do not let them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion,

²² so shall they be life unto thy soul and grace to thy neck.

²³ Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

²⁴ When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

²⁵ Thou shall not be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.

²⁶ For the LORD shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

²⁷ ¶ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

²⁸ Do not say unto thy neighbour, Go and come again and tomorrow I will give when thou hast it by thee.

²⁹ Do not devise evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwells securely by thee.

³⁰ Do not sue a man without cause, if he has done thee no harm.

³¹ Envy thou not the oppressor and choose none of his ways.

³² For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD; but his secret is with the righteous.

³³ The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked, but he shall bless the habitation of the just.

³⁴ Surely he scorns the scorners; but he gives grace unto the humble.

³⁵ The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

4 ¶ Hearken, ye sons, unto the chastening of the father, and pay attention that ye might know understanding.

² For I give you good doctrine; do not forsake my law.

³ For I was my father’s son, tender and unique in the sight of my mother.

⁴ He taught me and said unto me, Sustain thine heart with my words; keep my commandments, and live.

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

⁶ Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee.

⁷ Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

⁸ Grow in wisdom, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou hast embraced her.

⁹ She shall give to thine head an increase of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my words, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.

¹¹ I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have caused thee to walk in right paths.

¹² When thou goest in these paths, thy steps shall not be hindered; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³ Take fast hold of chastening; do not let go; keep this; for it is thy life.

¹⁴ ¶ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

¹⁵ Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

¹⁶ For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause someone to fall.

¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ But the path of the just is as the light of the morning star, that shines more and more until the day is perfect.

¹⁹ The way of the wicked is as darkness; they do not know in what they stumble.

²⁰ ¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my words.

²¹ Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

²² For they are life unto those that find them and medicine to all their flesh.

²³ Above all else, guard thy heart; for out of it flows the issues of life.

²⁴ Put away from thee the perversion of the mouth, and the deviation of the lips put far from thee.

²⁵ Let thine eyes look upon that which is right, and let thine eyelids straighten thy path before thee.

²⁶ Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

²⁷ Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.