The Search for Wisdom

Proverbs 2

The father urges his son to seek wisdom as eagerly as one searches for silver, promising that such a search leads to the fear of the Lord and the knowledge of God. He explains that wisdom will guard the son from wicked men and from a woman who has forgotten God's covenant, and will keep the upright secure in the land while the wicked are driven out of it.

About these editions

The Septuagint (LXX) in Greek, with Charles Thomson’s 1808 and Sir Lancelot Brenton’s 1851 English translations, set beside the King James Version and the Jewish Masoretic text (JPS 1917) where they align, so you can compare the Greek and the Hebrew. All public domain; choose which to show with the controls above.

Thomson 1808Septuagint

Brenton 1851Septuagint

Greek · BrentonSeptuagint

KJV 1769Masoretic

JPS 1917Masoretic

ThomsonMY son [Solomon again speaks], if thou wilt hear the counsel which I enjoin and hide it with thee,

BrentonMy son, if thou wilt receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with thee;

GreekΥἱὲ, ἐὰν δεξάμενος ῥῆσιν ἐμῆς ἐντολῆς κρύψῃς παρὰ σεαυτῷ,

KJVMy son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

JPSMy son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee;

Thomsonthine ear will hearken to wisdom; and thou wilt apply thy heart to understanding, and transmit it for instruction to thy son.

Brentonthine ear shall hearken to wisdom; thou shalt also apply thine heart to understanding, and shalt apply it to the instruction of thy son.

Greekὑπακούσεται σοφίας τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ παραβαλεῖς καρδίαν σου εἰς σύνεσιν, παραβαλεῖς δὲ αὐτὴν ἐπὶ νουθέτησιν τῷ υἱῷ σου·

KJVSo that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

JPSSo that thou make thine ear attend unto wisdom, And thy heart incline to discernment;

ThomsonFor if thou wilt call upon wisdom: and utter thy voice for understanding—

BrentonFor if thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding;

GreekἘὰν γὰρ τὴν σοφίαν ἐπικαλέσῃ, καὶ τῇ συνέσει δῷς φωνήν σου,

KJVYea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

JPSYea, if thou call for understanding, And lift up thy voice for discernment;

Thomsonif thou wilt seek for it as silver; and search for it as for treasures;

Brentonand if thou shalt seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;

Greekκαὶ ἐὰν ζητήσῃς αὐτὴν ὡς ἀργύριον, καὶ ὡς θησευροὺς ἐξεραυνήσῃς αὐτήν·

KJVIf thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

JPSIf thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures;

Thomsonthen thou shalt understand the fear of the Lord; and find the knowledge of God.

Brentonthen shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

GreekΤότε συνήσεις φόβον Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν Θεοῦ εὑρήσεις.

KJVThen shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

JPSThen shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

ThomsonFor the Lord giveth wisdom; and from His presence is knowledge and understanding:

BrentonFor the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence come knowledge and understanding,

GreekὍτι Κύριος δίδωσι σοφίαν, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις.

KJVFor the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

JPSFor the LORD giveth wisdom, Out of His mouth cometh knowledge and discernment;

Thomsonand He treasureth up salvation for the upright.

Brentonand he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

GreekΚαὶ θησαυρίζει τοῖς κατορθοῦσι σωτηρίαν, ὑπερασπιεῖ τὴν πορείαν αὐτῶν,

KJVHe layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

JPS—

ThomsonHe will protect their going, that they may keep the paths of rectitude. And He will guard the way of them who reverence Him.

Brentonthat he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

Greekτοῦ φυλάξαι ὁδοὺς δικαιωμάτων, καὶ ὁδὸν εὐλαβουμένων αὐτὸν διαφυλάξει.

KJV—

JPSThat He may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of His godly ones. .

ThomsonThen thou shalt understand judgment and justice; and direct all thy ways aright.

BrentonThen shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment; and shalt direct all thy course aright.

GreekΤότε συνήσεις δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίμα, καὶ κατορθώσεις πάντας ἄξονας ἀγαθούς.

KJVThen shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

JPSThen shalt thou understand righteousness and justice, And equity, yea, every good path.

ThomsonFor when wisdom entereth into thine understanding, and knowledge appeareth

BrentonFor if wisdom shall come into thine understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to thy soul,

GreekἘὰν γὰρ ἔλθῃ ἡ σοφία εἰς σὴν διάνοιαν, ἡ δὲ αἴσθησις τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ καλὴ εἶναι δόξῃ,

KJVWhen wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

JPSFor wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;

Thomsonpleasant to thy soul, good counsel will keep thee and holy prudence will guard thee:

Brentongood counsel shall guard thee, and holy understanding shall keep thee;

Greekβουλὴ καλὴ φυλάξει σε, ἔννοια δὲ ὁσία τηρήσει σε·

KJVDiscretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

JPS—

Thomsonthat she may deliver thee from an evil way and from a man who speaketh perversely.

Brentonto deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

GreekἽνα ῥύσηταί σε ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς λαλοῦντος μηδὲν πιστόν.

KJVTo deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

JPSTo deliver thee from the way of evil, From the men that speak froward things;

ThomsonAlas for them who leave straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness;

BrentonAlas for those who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;

GreekὮ οἱ ἐγκαταλείποντες ὁδοὺς εὐθείας τοῦ πορεύεσθαι ἐν ὁδοῖς σκότους·

KJVWho leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

JPSWho leave the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;

Thomsonwho are delighted with evils and have joy in evil perversion;

Brentonwho rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;

GreekΟἱ εὐφραινόμενοι ἐπὶ κακοῖς καὶ χαίροντες ἐπὶ διαστροφῇ κακῇ·

KJVWho rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

JPSWho rejoice to do evil, And delight in the frowardness of evil;

Thomsonwhose ways are crooked, and whose paths turn aside to lead thee far from the straight road

Brentonwhose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;

GreekὯν αἱ τρίβοι σκολιαὶ, καὶ καμπύλαι αἱ τροχιαὶ αὐτῶν,

KJVWhose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:

JPSWho are crooked in their ways, And perverse in their paths;

Thomsonand estrange thee from a just determination.

Brentonto remove thee far from the straight way, and to estrange thee from a righteous purpose. My son, let not evil counsel overtake thee,

Greekτοῦ μακράν σε ποιῆσαι ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ εὐθείας, καὶ ἀλλότριον τῆς δικαίας γνώμης· υἱὲ, μή σε καταλάβῃ κακὴ βουλή·

KJV—

JPS—

ThomsonMy son, let not evil counsel, who hath forsaken the discipline of youth and hath forgotten the divine covenant, take hold of thee.

Brentonof her who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.

GreekἩ ἀπολιποῦσα διδασκαλίαν νεότητος, καὶ διαθήκην θείαν ἐπιλελησμένη.

KJVWhich forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

JPSThat forsaketh the lord of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God.

ThomsonFor she hath placed her house near death; and her wheels with the earth born near the mansion of the dead.

BrentonFor she has fixed her house near death, and guided her wheels near Hades with the giants.

GreekἜθετο γὰρ παρὰ τῷ θανάτῳ τὸν οἶκον αὐτῆς, καὶ παρὰ τῷ ᾅδῃ μετὰ τῶν γηγενῶν τοὺς ἄξονας αὐτῆς.

KJVFor her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

JPSFor her house sinketh down unto death, And her paths unto the shades;

ThomsonNone who walk by her direction can ever return; nor ever recover the right paths.

BrentonNone that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.

GreekΠάντες οἱ πορευόμενοι ἐν αὐτῇ οὐκ ἀναστρέψουσιν, οὐδὲ μὴ καταλάβωσι τρίβους εὐθείας· οὐ γὰρ καταλαμβάνονται ὑπὸ ἐνιαυτῶν ζωῆς.

KJVNone that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

JPSNone that go unto her return, Neither do they attain unto the paths of life;

ThomsonFor they are not taken hold of by years of life. If they indeed had walked in good ways: they would have found the paths of justice smooth.

BrentonFor had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.

GreekΕἰ γὰρ ἐπορεύοντο τρίβους ἀγαθὰς, εὕροσαν ἂν τρίβους δικαιοσύνης λείας.

KJV—

JPS—

ThomsonFor the upright shall inhabit the land, and the holy shall be left in it;

BrentonFor the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.

GreekὍτι εὐθεῖς κατασκηνώσουσι γῆν, καὶ ὅσιοι ὑπολειφθήσονται ἐν αὐτῇ.

KJVFor the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

JPSFor the upright shall dwell in the land, And the whole-hearted shall remain in it.

Thomsonthe ways of the wicked shall be destroyed from the land, and the transgressors shall be driven out of it.

BrentonThe paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.

GreekὉδοὶ ἀσεβῶν ἐκ γῆς ὀλοῦνται, οἱ δὲ παράνομοι ἐξωσθήσονται ἀπʼ αὐτῆς.

KJVBut the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

JPS—