1988 verses about Wisdom

to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:

for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.

My son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,

Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.

They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”

My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;

So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.

For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;

Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

My son, don’t forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments:

Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.

My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his reproof:

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.

For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.

Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.

By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:

The wise will inherit glory, but shame will be the promotion of fools.

Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.

He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.

Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.

Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.

My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding:

that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.

For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,

Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Don’t depart from the words of my mouth.

Remove your way far from her. Don’t come near the door of her house,

lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;

and say, “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

I have come to the brink of utter ruin, among the gathered assembly.”

Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?

He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.

Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;

provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

Bind them continually on your heart. Tie them around your neck.

When you walk, it will lead you. When you sleep, it will watch over you. When you awake, it will talk with you.

For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light. Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

to keep you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

For a prostitute reduces you to a piece of bread. The adulteress hunts for your precious life.

Can a man scoop fire into his lap, and his clothes not be burned?

Or can one walk on hot coals, and his feet not be scorched?

He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

My son, keep my words. Lay up my commandments within you.

Bind them on your fingers. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.” Call understanding your relative,

that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the foreigner who flatters with her words.

I saw among the simple ones. I discerned among the youths a young man void of understanding,

passing through the street near her corner, he went the way to her house,

Now therefore, sons, listen to me. Pay attention to the words of my mouth.

Doesn’t wisdom cry out? Doesn’t understanding raise her voice?

On the top of high places by the way, where the paths meet, she stands.

Beside the gates, at the entry of the city, at the entry doors, she cries aloud:

“To you men, I call! I send my voice to the sons of mankind.

You simple, understand prudence. You fools, be of an understanding heart.

Hear, for I will speak excellent things. The opening of my lips is for right things.

For my mouth speaks truth. Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

They are all plain to him who understands, right to those who find knowledge.