Month: February 2020

Wisdom Bestows Well-Being

1 My son, do not forget my teaching,

but keep my commands in your heart,

2 for they will prolong your life many years

and bring you peace and prosperity.

3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;

bind them around your neck,

write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Then you will win favor and a good name

in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in theLordwith all your heart

and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways submit to him,

and he will make your paths straight.

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;

fear theLordand shun evil.

8 This will bring health to your body

and nourishment to your bones.

9 Honor theLordwith your wealth,

with the firstfruits of all your crops;

10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,

and your vats will brim over with new wine.

11 My son, do not despise theLord’s discipline,

and do not resent his rebuke,

12 because theLorddisciplines those he loves,

as a father the son he delights in.

13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,

those who gain understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver

and yields better returns than gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies;

nothing you desire can compare with her.

16 Long life is in her right hand;

in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are pleasant ways,

and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her;

those who hold her fast will be blessed.

19 By wisdom theLordlaid the earth’s foundations,

by understanding he set the heavens in place;

20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,

and the clouds let drop the dew.

21 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,

preserve sound judgment and discretion;

22 they will be life for you,

an ornament to grace your neck.

23 Then you will go on your way in safety,

and your foot will not stumble.

24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;

when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 Have no fear of sudden disaster

or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,

26 for theLordwill be at your side

and will keep your foot from being snared.

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,

when it is in your power to act.

28 Do not say to your neighbor,

“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—

when you already have it with you.

29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,

who lives trustfully near you.

30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—

when they have done you no harm.

31 Do not envy the violent

or choose any of their ways.

32 For theLorddetests the perverse

but takes the upright into his confidence.

33 TheLord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,

but he blesses the home of the righteous.

34 He mocks proud mockers

but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

35 The wise inherit honor,

but fools get only shame.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/3-4e2ced2d76db0fa62d7477e7463f4238.mp3?version_id=111—

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;

pay attention and gain understanding.

2 I give you sound learning,

so do not forsake my teaching.

3 For I too was a son to my father,

still tender, and cherished by my mother.

4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,

“Take hold of my words with all your heart;

keep my commands, and you will live.

5 Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or turn away from them.

6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;

love her, and she will watch over you.

7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Getwisdom.

Though it cost all you have,get understanding.

8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;

embrace her, and she will honor you.

9 She will give you a garland to grace your head

and present you with a glorious crown.”

10 Listen, my son, accept what I say,

and the years of your life will be many.

11 I instruct you in the way of wisdom

and lead you along straight paths.

12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;

when you run, you will not stumble.

13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;

guard it well, for it is your life.

14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked

or walk in the way of evildoers.

15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;

turn from it and go on your way.

16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;

they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.

17 They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,

shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, pay attention to what I say;

turn your ear to my words.

21 Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

22 for they are life to those who find them

and health to one’s whole body.

23 Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;

keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;

fix your gaze directly before you.

26 Give careful thought to thepaths for your feet

and be steadfast in all your ways.

27 Do not turn to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/4-4a2f7839b5fd6216fa8aaa9235e8cc67.mp3?version_id=111—

Warning Against Adultery

1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,

turn your ear to my words of insight,

2 that you may maintain discretion

and your lips may preserve knowledge.

3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,

and her speech is smoother than oil;

4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,

sharp as a double-edged sword.

5 Her feet go down to death;

her steps lead straight to the grave.

6 She gives no thought to the way of life;

her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;

do not turn aside from what I say.

8 Keep to a path far from her,

do not go near the door of her house,

9 lest you lose your honor to others

and your dignityto one who is cruel,

10 lest strangers feast on your wealth

and your toil enrich the house of another.

11 At the end of your life you will groan,

when your flesh and body are spent.

12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!

How my heart spurned correction!

13 I would not obey my teachers

or turn my ear to my instructors.

14 And I was soon in serious trouble

in the assembly of God’s people.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern,

running water from your own well.

16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,

your streams of water in the public squares?

17 Let them be yours alone,

never to be shared with strangers.

18 May your fountain be blessed,

and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

19 A loving doe, a graceful deer—

may her breasts satisfy you always,

may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?

Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

21 For your ways are in full view of theLord,

and he examines all your paths.

22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;

the cords of their sins hold them fast.

23 For lack of discipline they will die,

led astray by their own great folly.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/5-98fe7495159a49e5e3bc938072d1b86e.mp3?version_id=111—

Warnings Against Folly

1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,

if you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

2 you have been trapped by what you said,

ensnared by the words of your mouth.

3 So do this, my son, to free yourself,

since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:

Go—to the point of exhaustion—

and give your neighbor no rest!

4 Allow no sleep to your eyes,

no slumber to your eyelids.

5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,

like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;

consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander,

no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer

and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?

When will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber,

a little folding of the hands to rest—

11 and poverty will come on you like a thief

and scarcity like an armed man.

12 A troublemaker and a villain,

who goes about with a corrupt mouth,

13 who winks maliciously with his eye,

signals with his feet

and motions with his fingers,

14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart—

he always stirs up conflict.

15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;

he will suddenly be destroyed—without remedy.

16 There are six things theLordhates,

seven that are detestable to him:

17 haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

19 a false witness who pours out lies

and a person who stirs up conflict in the community.

Warning Against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father’s command

and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

21 Bind them always on your heart;

fasten them around your neck.

22 When you walk, they will guide you;

when you sleep, they will watch over you;

when you awake, they will speak to you.

23 For this command is a lamp,

this teaching is a light,

and correction and instruction

are the way to life,

24 keeping you from your neighbor’s wife,

from the smooth talk of a wayward woman.

25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty

or let her captivate you with her eyes.

26 For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread,

but another man’s wife preys on your very life.

27 Can a man scoop fire into his lap

without his clothes being burned?

28 Can a man walk on hot coals

without his feet being scorched?

29 So is he who sleeps with another man’s wife;

no one who touches her will go unpunished.

30 People do not despise a thief if he steals

to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.

31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold,

though it costs him all the wealth of his house.

32 But a man who commits adultery has no sense;

whoever does so destroys himself.

33 Blows and disgrace are his lot,

and his shame will never be wiped away.

34 For jealousy arouses a husband’s fury,

and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.

35 He will not accept any compensation;

he will refuse a bribe, however great it is.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/6-b0fbddf423002f26ea8eed3404a541df.mp3?version_id=111—

Warning Against the Adulterous Woman

1 My son, keep my words

and store up my commands within you.

2 Keep my commands and you will live;

guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.

3 Bind them on your fingers;

write them on the tablet of your heart.

4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”

and to insight, “You are my relative.”

5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman,

from the wayward woman with her seductive words.

6 At the window of my house

I looked down through the lattice.

7 I saw among the simple,

I noticed among the young men,

a youth who had no sense.

8 He was going down the street near her corner,

walking along in the direction of her house

9 at twilight, as the day was fading,

as the dark of night set in.

10 Then out came a woman to meet him,

dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.

11 (She is unruly and defiant,

her feet never stay at home;

12 now in the street, now in the squares,

at every corner she lurks.)

13 She took hold of him and kissed him

and with a brazen face she said:

14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,

and I have food from my fellowship offering at home.

15 So I came out to meet you;

I looked for you and have found you!

16 I have covered my bed

with colored linens from Egypt.

17 I have perfumed my bed

with myrrh, aloes and cinnamon.

18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;

let’s enjoy ourselves with love!

19 My husband is not at home;

he has gone on a long journey.

20 He took his purse filled with money

and will not be home till full moon.”

21 With persuasive words she led him astray;

she seduced him with her smooth talk.

22 All at once he followed her

like an ox going to the slaughter,

like a deerstepping into a noose

23 till an arrow pierces his liver,

like a bird darting into a snare,

little knowing it will cost him his life.

24 Now then, my sons, listen to me;

pay attention to what I say.

25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways

or stray into her paths.

26 Many are the victims she has brought down;

her slain are a mighty throng.

27 Her house is a highway to the grave,

leading down to the chambers of death.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/7-b17b3f36f208bb2df0adf6343964950e.mp3?version_id=111—

Wisdom’s Call

1 Does not wisdom call out?

Does not understanding raise her voice?

2 At the highest point along the way,

where the paths meet, she takes her stand;

3 beside the gate leading into the city,

at the entrance, she cries aloud:

4 “To you, O people, I call out;

I raise my voice to all mankind.

5 You who are simple, gain prudence;

you who are foolish, set your hearts on it.

6 Listen, for I have trustworthy things to say;

I open my lips to speak what is right.

7 My mouth speaks what is true,

for my lips detest wickedness.

8 All the words of my mouth are just;

none of them is crooked or perverse.

9 To the discerning all of them are right;

they are upright to those who have found knowledge.

10 Choose my instruction instead of silver,

knowledge rather than choice gold,

11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies,

and nothing you desire can compare with her.

12 “I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence;

I possess knowledge and discretion.

13 To fear theLordis to hate evil;

I hate pride and arrogance,

evil behavior and perverse speech.

14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine;

I have insight, I have power.

15 By me kings reign

and rulers issue decrees that are just;

16 by me princes govern,

and nobles—all who rule on earth.

17 I love those who love me,

and those who seek me find me.

18 With me are riches and honor,

enduring wealth and prosperity.

19 My fruit is better than fine gold;

what I yield surpasses choice silver.

20 I walk in the way of righteousness,

along the paths of justice,

21 bestowing a rich inheritance on those who love me

and making their treasuries full.

22 “TheLordbrought me forth as the first of his works,

before his deeds of old;

23 I was formed long ages ago,

at the very beginning, when the world came to be.

24 When there were no watery depths, I was given birth,

when there were no springs overflowing with water;

25 before the mountains were settled in place,

before the hills, I was given birth,

26 before he made the world or its fields

or any of the dust of the earth.

27 I was there when he set the heavens in place,

when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,

28 when he established the clouds above

and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,

29 when he gave the sea its boundary

so the waters would not overstep his command,

and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.

30 Then I was constantlyat his side.

I was filled with delight day after day,

rejoicing always in his presence,

31 rejoicing in his whole world

and delighting in mankind.

32 “Now then, my children, listen to me;

blessed are those who keep my ways.

33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;

do not disregard it.

34 Blessed are those who listen to me,

watching daily at my doors,

waiting at my doorway.

35 For those who find me find life

and receive favor from theLord.

36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves;

all who hate me love death.”

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/8-c9ba2d7d13cfd6036fa2bb0f4389b4dc.mp3?version_id=111—

Invitations of Wisdom and Folly

1 Wisdom has built her house;

she has set upits seven pillars.

2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine;

she has also set her table.

3 She has sent out her servants, and she calls

from the highest point of the city,

4 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”

To those who have no sense she says,

5 “Come, eat my food

and drink the wine I have mixed.

6 Leave your simple ways and you will live;

walk in the way of insight.”

7 Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;

whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.

8 Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;

rebuke the wise and they will love you.

9 Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;

teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.

10 The fear of theLordis the beginning of wisdom,

and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

11 For through wisdomyour days will be many,

and years will be added to your life.

12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you;

if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer.

13 Folly is an unruly woman;

she is simple and knows nothing.

14 She sits at the door of her house,

on a seat at the highest point of the city,

15 calling out to those who pass by,

who go straight on their way,

16 “Let all who are simple come to my house!”

To those who have no sense she says,

17 “Stolen water is sweet;

food eaten in secret is delicious!”

18 But little do they know that the dead are there,

that her guests are deep in the realm of the dead.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/9-d55acc21ad5aacaace43eca57b05125b.mp3?version_id=111—

1 The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

2 Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,

but righteousness delivers from death.

3 TheLorddoes not let the righteous go hungry,

but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

4 Lazy hands make for poverty,

but diligent hands bring wealth.

5 He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son,

but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

6 Blessings crown the head of the righteous,

but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

7 The name of the righteous is used in blessings,

but the name of the wicked will rot.

8 The wise in heart accept commands,

but a chattering fool comes to ruin.

9 Whoever walks in integrity walks securely,

but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.

10 Whoever winks maliciously causes grief,

and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,

but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

12 Hatred stirs up conflict,

but love covers over all wrongs.

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,

but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.

14 The wise store up knowledge,

but the mouth of a fool invites ruin.

15 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city,

but poverty is the ruin of the poor.

16 The wages of the righteous is life,

but the earnings of the wicked are sin and death.

17 Whoever heeds discipline shows the way to life,

but whoever ignores correction leads others astray.

18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips

and spreads slander is a fool.

19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words,

but the prudent hold their tongues.

20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,

but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,

but fools die for lack of sense.

22 The blessing of theLordbrings wealth,

without painful toil for it.

23 A fool finds pleasure in wicked schemes,

but a person of understanding delights in wisdom.

24 What the wicked dread will overtake them;

what the righteous desire will be granted.

25 When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone,

but the righteous stand firm forever.

26 As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes,

so are sluggards to those who send them.

27 The fear of theLordadds length to life,

but the years of the wicked are cut short.

28 The prospect of the righteous is joy,

but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.

29 The way of theLordis a refuge for the blameless,

but it is the ruin of those who do evil.

30 The righteous will never be uprooted,

but the wicked will not remain in the land.

31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,

but a perverse tongue will be silenced.

32 The lips of the righteous know what finds favor,

but the mouth of the wicked only what is perverse.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/10-17635a3cc2297575b4b6490da59d4e26.mp3?version_id=111—

1 TheLorddetests dishonest scales,

but accurate weights find favor with him.

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

but with humility comes wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,

but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

4 Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,

but righteousness delivers from death.

5 The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,

but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,

but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.

7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them;

all the promise oftheir power comes to nothing.

8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble,

and it falls on the wicked instead.

9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,

but through knowledge the righteous escape.

10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;

when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,

but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.

12 Whoever derides their neighbor has no sense,

but the one who has understanding holds their tongue.

13 A gossip betrays a confidence,

but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.

14 For lack of guidance a nation falls,

but victory is won through many advisers.

15 Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer,

but whoever refuses to shake hands in pledge is safe.

16 A kindhearted woman gains honor,

but ruthless men gain only wealth.

17 Those who are kind benefit themselves,

but the cruel bring ruin on themselves.

18 A wicked person earns deceptive wages,

but the one who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.

19 Truly the righteous attain life,

but whoever pursues evil finds death.

20 TheLorddetests those whose hearts are perverse,

but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,

but those who are righteous will go free.

22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.

23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,

but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;

another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

25 A generous person will prosper;

whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

26 People curse the one who hoards grain,

but they pray God’s blessing on the one who is willing to sell.

27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,

but evil comes to one who searches for it.

28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.

29 Whoever brings ruin on their family will inherit only wind,

and the fool will be servant to the wise.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,

and the one who is wise saves lives.

31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,

how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/11-22eab61a6559305e844962f467c94129.mp3?version_id=111—

1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,

but whoever hates correction is stupid.

2 Good people obtain favor from theLord,

but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.

3 No one can be established through wickedness,

but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

4 A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown,

but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

5 The plans of the righteous are just,

but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

6 The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,

but the speech of the upright rescues them.

7 The wicked are overthrown and are no more,

but the house of the righteous stands firm.

8 A person is praised according to their prudence,

and one with a warped mind is despised.

9 Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant

than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

10 The righteous care for the needs of their animals,

but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

11 Those who work their land will have abundant food,

but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

12 The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,

but the root of the righteous endures.

13 Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,

and so the innocent escape trouble.

14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,

and the work of their hands brings them reward.

15 The way of fools seems right to them,

but the wise listen to advice.

16 Fools show their annoyance at once,

but the prudent overlook an insult.

17 An honest witness tells the truth,

but a false witness tells lies.

18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords,

but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

19 Truthful lips endure forever,

but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

20 Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,

but those who promote peace have joy.

21 No harm overtakes the righteous,

but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

22 TheLorddetests lying lips,

but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

23 The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,

but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.

24 Diligent hands will rule,

but laziness ends in forced labor.

25 Anxiety weighs down the heart,

but a kind word cheers it up.

26 The righteous choose their friends carefully,

but the way of the wicked leads them astray.

27 The lazy do not roastany game,

but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

28 In the way of righteousness there is life;

along that path is immortality.

—https://api-cdn.youversionapi.com/audio-bible-youversionapi/3/32k/PRO/12-7013943b078685c56ac9a304849b0415.mp3?version_id=111—