Proverbs 2-3

Proverbs 2

¹My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

²so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;

³yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;

⁴if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:

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

⁶For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.

⁷He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

⁸guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.

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

¹⁰When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,

¹¹discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:

¹²To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;

¹³[from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

¹⁴who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil;

¹⁵whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:

¹⁶To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;

¹⁷who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;

¹⁸-- for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;

¹⁹none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

²⁰-- that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.

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

²²but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.

Proverbs 3

¹My son, forget not my teaching, and let thy heart observe my commandments;

²for length of days, and years of life, and peace shall they add to thee.

³Let not loving-kindness and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

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

⁵Confide in Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own intelligence;

⁶in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make plain thy paths.

⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:

⁸it shall be health for thy navel, and moisture for thy bones.

⁹Honour Jehovah with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase;

¹⁰so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.

¹¹My son, despise not the instruction of Jehovah, neither be weary of his chastisement;

¹²for whom Jehovah loveth he chasteneth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

¹³Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

¹⁴For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver, and her revenue than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not equal unto her.

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

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

¹⁸She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is he that retaineth her.

¹⁹Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens.

²⁰By his knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

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

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

²³Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble;

²⁴when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, but thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet.

²⁵Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the destruction of the wicked, when it cometh;

²⁶for Jehovah shall be thy confidence, and he will keep thy foot from being taken.

²⁷Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

²⁸Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.

²⁹Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

³⁰Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

³¹Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.

³²For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah; but his secret is with the upright.

³³The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

³⁴He indeed scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

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