Holman Christian Standard Bible | Berean Study Bible |
1My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, | 1My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you, |
2listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding; | 2if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding, |
3furthermore, if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, | 3if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, |
4if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, | 4if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure, |
5then you will understand the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. | 5then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God. |
6For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. | 6For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. |
7He stores up success for the upright; He is a shield for those who live with integrity | 7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity, |
8so that He may guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His loyal followers. | 8to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints. |
9Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and integrity--every good path. | 9Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path. |
10For wisdom will enter your mind, and knowledge will delight your heart. | 10For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul. |
11Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, | 11Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, |
12rescuing you from the way of evil-- from the one who says perverse things, | 12to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity, |
13from those who abandon the right paths to walk in ways of darkness, | 13from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness, |
14from those who enjoy doing evil and celebrate perversion, | 14from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil, |
15whose paths are crooked, and whose ways are devious. | 15whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious. |
16It will rescue you from a forbidden woman, from a stranger with her flattering talk, | 16It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words |
17who abandons the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God; | 17who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. |
18for her house sinks down to death and her ways to the land of the departed spirits. | 18For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits. |
19None return who go to her; none reach the paths of life. | 19None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life. |
20So follow the way of good people, and keep to the paths of the righteous. | 20So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous. |
21For the upright will inhabit the land, and those of integrity will remain in it; | 21For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it; |
22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous uprooted from it. | 22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted. |
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