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

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

Wisdom Protects You From the Adulterous Woman

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

Admonition to Live Righteously

20 This is how to walk in the way of good people,
how to stay on the paths of the righteous.
21 Yes, the upright will live in the land,
and people with integrity will remain in it,
22 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 Lord’s Blessing

Proverbs 3

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

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

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

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due
    when it is within your power to give it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go away! Come back some other time.
I will give something to you tomorrow,”
when in fact it is already with you right now.
29 Do not plan harm against your neighbor
    when he is living with you peacefully.
30 Do not quarrel with a person for no good reason
    when he has done nothing to harm you.
31 Do not envy a violent person.
Do not choose any of his ways,
32 because a crooked person is an abomination [12] to the Lord,
but God’s friendly guidance leads [13] the upright.
33 The Lord’s curse rests on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34 Although he scorns the scornful,
he gives grace to the humble.
35 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 Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.