Bible Browser

The Value of Wisdom

2My child, if you accept my words
   and treasure up my commandments within you,
² making your ear attentive to wisdom
   and inclining your heart to understanding;
³ if you indeed cry out for insight,
   and raise your voice for understanding;
⁴ if you seek it like silver,
   and search for it as for hidden treasures—
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
   and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
   from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
⁷ he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
   he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,
⁸ guarding the paths of justice
   and preserving the way of his faithful ones.
⁹ Then you will understand righteousness and justice
   and equity, every good path;
¹⁰ for wisdom will come into your heart,
   and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
¹¹ prudence will watch over you;
   and understanding will guard you.
¹² It will save you from the way of evil,
   from those who speak perversely,
¹³ who forsake the paths of uprightness
   to walk in the ways of darkness,
¹⁴ who rejoice in doing evil
   and delight in the perverseness of evil;
¹⁵ those whose paths are crooked,
   and who are devious in their ways.

¹⁶ You will be saved from the loose^* woman,
   from the adulteress with her smooth words,
¹⁷ who forsakes the partner of her youth
   and forgets her sacred covenant;
¹⁸ for her way^* leads down to death,
   and her paths to the shades;
¹⁹ those who go to her never come back,
   nor do they regain the paths of life.

²⁰ Therefore walk in the way of the good,
   and keep to the paths of the just.
²¹ For the upright will abide in the land,
   and the innocent will remain in it;
²² but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
   and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.

Admonition to Trust and Honour God

3My child, do not forget my teaching,
   but let your heart keep my commandments;
² for length of days and years of life
   and abundant welfare they will give you.

³ Do not let loyalty and faithfulness forsake you;
   bind them round your neck,
   write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ So you will find favour and good repute
   in the sight of God and of people.

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
   and do not rely on your own insight.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
   and he will make straight your paths.
⁷ Do not be wise in your own eyes;
   fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
⁸ It will be a healing for your flesh
   and a refreshment for your body.

⁹ Honour the Lord with your substance
   and with the first fruits of all your produce;
¹⁰ then your barns will be filled with plenty,
   and your vats will be bursting with wine.

¹¹ My child, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
   or be weary of his reproof,
¹² for the Lord reproves the one he loves,
   as a father the son in whom he delights.

The True Wealth

¹³ Happy are those who find wisdom,
   and those who get understanding,
¹⁴ for her income is better than silver,
   and her revenue better than gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than jewels,
   and nothing you desire can compare with her.
¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand;
   in her left hand are 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 who lay hold of her;
   those who hold her fast are called happy.

God’s Wisdom in Creation

¹⁹ The Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
   by understanding he established the heavens;
²⁰ by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
   and the clouds drop down the dew.

The True Security

²¹ My child, do not let these escape from your sight:
   keep sound wisdom and prudence,
²² and they will be life for your soul
   and adornment for your neck.
²³ Then you will walk on your way securely
   and your foot will not stumble.
²⁴ If you sit down,^* you will not be afraid;
   when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵ Do not be afraid of sudden panic,
   or of the storm that strikes the wicked;
²⁶ for the Lord will be your confidence
   and will keep your foot from being caught.

²⁷ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,^*
   when it is in your power to do it.
²⁸ Do not say to your neighbour, ‘Go, and come again;
   tomorrow I will give it’—when you have it with you.
²⁹ Do not plan harm against your neighbour
   who lives trustingly beside you.
³⁰ Do not quarrel with anyone without cause,
   when no harm has been done to you.
³¹ Do not envy the violent
   and do not choose any of their ways;
³² for the perverse are an abomination to the Lord,
   but the upright are in his confidence.
³³ The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
   but he blesses the abode of the righteous.
³⁴ Towards the scorners he is scornful,
   but to the humble he shows favour.
³⁵ The wise will inherit honour,
   but stubborn fools, disgrace.