Through My Bible Yr 03 – September 26

Proverbs 2 – 3

Through My Bible – September 26

Proverbs 2 – 3 (EHV)

See series: Through My Bible

Second Address to a Son: Wisdom Provides Protection

Proverbs 2

1Ā My son, if you accept my words,
if you store up my commands within you,
2Ā     by paying attention [1] to wisdom with your ear,
    by reaching out for understanding with your heart,
3Ā if indeed you call out for intelligence,
if you raise your voice for understanding,
4Ā if you search for it like silver,
if you hunt for it like hidden treasure,
5Ā then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
then you will find the knowledge of God,
6Ā because the Lord gives wisdom.
Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.
7Ā He stores up sound judgment for upright people.
He is a shield for those who walk in integrity.
8Ā He protects those who walk on paths of justice.
He guards the way of his favored ones. [2]
9Ā Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
    and fairnessā€”every good path,
10Ā because wisdom will come into your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant for your soul.
11Ā Foresight will stand guard over you.
Understanding will protect you.
12Ā It will save you from the evil way,
from the man who speaks perverse things,
13Ā from those who abandon upright paths
    in order to walk in the ways of darkness.
14Ā It will save you from those who enjoy doing evil,
from those who celebrate the twisted ways of evil,
15Ā from those whose paths are crooked,
and from those whose ways are devious.

Wisdom Protects You From the Adulterous Woman

16Ā Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, [3]
from the unfaithful woman [4] with her seductive words,
17Ā who abandons the husband of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God.
18Ā So she sinks down to death, which becomes her house. [5]
Her way of life leads down to the spirits of the dead.
19Ā All who enter her house never return.
They never reach the paths of life.

Admonition to Live Righteously

20Ā This is how to walk in the way of good people,
how to stay on the paths of the righteous.
21Ā Yes, the upright will live in the land,
and people with integrity will remain in it,
22Ā but wicked people will be cut off from the land,
and treacherous people will be torn out of it.

Third Address to a Son:
Wisdom Leads to the Lordā€™s Blessing

Proverbs 3

1Ā My son, do not forget my teaching.
Let your heart keep my commands,
2Ā because they will add long days and many years to your life,
and peace and prosperity [6] will come to you.
3Ā Do not allow mercy and truth to leave you.
Fasten them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.
4Ā Then you will find favor and approval [7]
    in the eyes of God and man.
5Ā Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding.
6Ā In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
7Ā Do not consider yourself wise.
Fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8Ā Then your body [8] will be healed,
and your bones will be refreshed.

9Ā Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits from your entire harvest.
10Ā Then your barns will be filled to capacity,
and your wine vats will overflow with fresh wine.
11Ā Do not reject the Lordā€™s discipline, my son,
and do not despise his warning,
12Ā because the Lord warns [9] the one he loves
    as a father warns a son with whom he is pleased.
13Ā How blessed is the person who finds wisdom, [10]
the person who acquires understanding,
14Ā because the profit it gives is better than the profit from silver,
and its yield is better than gold!
15Ā It is more valuable than gems, [11]
and nothing you desire can equal it.
16Ā In its right hand are the days of a long life.
In its left hand are riches and honor.
17Ā Its ways are pleasant ways,
and all its paths are peace.
18Ā It is a tree of life for those who hold on to it.
Those who cling to it are blessed.
19Ā The Lord founded the earth by wisdom.
He established the heavens by understanding.
20Ā By his knowledge the deep waters were divided,
and the clouds drip dew.

21Ā My son, do not take your eyes off these things.
Guard sound judgment and insight.
22Ā They will be life for your soul
and grace to adorn your neck.
23Ā Then you will walk safely on your way,
and your foot will not stumble.
24Ā When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
When you lie down, your sleep will be pleasant.
25Ā Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
nor of the destruction of the wicked when it comes,
26Ā because the Lord will be your confidence.
He will keep your foot from being caught.

Fourth Address to a Son:
Practice Wisdom Toward Your Neighbor

27Ā Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due
    when it is within your power to give it.
28Ā Do not say to your neighbor,
ā€œGo away! Come back some other time.
I will give something to you tomorrow,ā€
when in fact it is already with you right now.
29Ā Do not plan harm against your neighbor
    when he is living with you peacefully.
30Ā Do not quarrel with a person for no good reason
    when he has done nothing to harm you.
31Ā Do not envy a violent person.
Do not choose any of his ways,
32Ā because a crooked person is an abomination [12] to the Lord,
but Godā€™s friendly guidance leads [13] the upright.
33Ā The Lordā€™s curse rests on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34Ā Although he scorns the scornful,
he gives grace to the humble.
35Ā Wise people inherit honor,
but proud fools receive disgrace.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:2 Or so you can pay attention
  2. Proverbs 2:8 Or those who are merciful or those who have received his mercy
  3. Proverbs 2:16 Literally from the strange woman, that is, one who is married to another man
  4. Proverbs 2:16 Literally from the foreign woman, that is, one who is married to another man
  5. Proverbs 2:18 The line is difficult and the translation is uncertain.
  6. Proverbs 3:2 The Hebrew word shalom here contains both meanings.
  7. Proverbs 3:4 Literally good understanding
  8. Proverbs 3:8 Literally navel
  9. Proverbs 3:12 Or disciplines
  10. Proverbs 3:13 Or Wisdom. An issue throughout Proverbs 1-9 is when wisdom should be capitalized as the personal name of Lady Wisdom and when it is the common noun. Most translations do not capitalize wisdom in verses like verse 13 because of the parallelism with understanding. This decision also determines whether the English pronouns should be she or it. In Hebrew the noun for wisdom is feminine, so the pronouns in Hebrew are always feminine.
  11. Proverbs 3:15 The meaning of this word is uncertain. It may refer to a specific gemstone, such as rubies or red coral.
  12. Proverbs 3:32 Or is disgusting or is repulsive
  13. Proverbs 3:32 Or intimate counsel guides

The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage VersionĀ®, EHVĀ®, Ā© 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.