Proverbs 2:3

Amplified Bible

Yes, if you cry out for insight, And lift up your voice for understanding;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
furthermore, if you call out to insightand lift your voice to understanding,

Hebrew Names Version
Yes, if you call out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding;

King James Version
Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

English Standard Version
yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,

New Century Version
Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding.

New English Translation
indeed, if you call out for discernment— raise your voice for understanding—

New American Standard Bible
For if you cry out for insight, And raise your voice for understanding;

World English Bible
Yes, if you call out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding;

Geneva Bible (1587)
(For if thou callest after knowledge, and cryest for vnderstanding:

Legacy Standard Bible
For if you call out for understanding,Give your voice for discernment;

Berean Standard Bible
if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,

Contemporary English Version
Beg as loud as you can for good common sense.

Complete Jewish Bible
yes, if you will call for insight and raise your voice for discernment,

Darby Translation
yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;

Easy-to-Read Version
Ask for good judgment. Cry out for understanding.

George Lamsa Translation
Yea, if you cry after knowledge and lift up your voice to understanding,

Good News Translation
Yes, beg for knowledge; plead for insight.

Lexham English Bible
For if you cry out for understanding, if you lift your voice for insight,

Literal Translation
For if you cry for discernment, lifting up your voice for understanding;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For yf thou criest after wy?dome, & callest for knowlege:

American Standard Version
Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding;

Bible in Basic English
Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Yea, if thou call for understanding, and lift up thy voice for discernment;

King James Version (1611)
Yea if thou cryest after knowledge, and liftest vp thy voyce for vnderstanding:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
For if thou cryest after wisdome, and cryest for knowledge:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For it thou shalt call to wisdom, and utter thy voice for understanding;

English Revised Version
Yea, if thou cry after discernment, and lift up thy voice for understanding;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
For if thou inwardli clepist wisdom, and bowist thin herte to prudence;

Update Bible Version
Yes, if you cry after discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding;

Webster's Bible Translation
Yes, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding;

New King James Version
Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,

New Living Translation
Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.

New Life Bible
If you cry out to know right from wrong, and lift your voice for understanding;

New Revised Standard
if you indeed cry out for insight, and raise your voice for understanding;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Yea if, for understanding, thou cry aloud, for knowledge, utter thy voice;

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:

Revised Standard Version
yes, if you cry out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,

Young's Literal Translation
For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;

Contextual Overview

¹My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you, ²So that your ear is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding [seeking it conscientiously and striving for it eagerly]; ³Yes, if you cry out for insight, And lift up your voice for understanding;⁴If you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver And search for her as you would hidden treasures; ⁵Then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the LORD [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] And discover the knowledge of God. ⁶For the LORD gives [skillful and godly] wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding. ⁷He stores away sound wisdom for the righteous [those who are in right standing with Him]; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity [those of honorable character and moral courage], ⁸He guards the paths of justice; And He preserves the way of His saints (believers). ⁹Then you will understand righteousness and justice [in every circumstance] And integrity and every good path.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

if: Proverbs 3:6, Proverbs 8:17, 1 Kings 3:9-12, 1 Chronicles 22:12, Psalms 25:4, Psalms 25:5, Psalms 119:34, Psalms 119:73, Psalms 119:125, Psalms 119:169, Luke 11:13, Ephesians 1:17, Ephesians 1:18, James 1:5

liftest up thy voice: Heb. givest thy voice

Reciprocal: 1 Kings 10:1 - concerning Job 5:27 - we have searched Proverbs 8:34 - watching John 7:28 - whom Acts 10:2 - and prayed Philippians 3:15 - God 2 Timothy 2:7 - and

Cross-References

Genesis 2:2
And by the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested (ceased) on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.

Genesis 2:3
So God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it [as His own, that is, set it apart as holy from other days], because in it He rested from all His work which He had created and done.

Genesis 2:4
This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens—

Genesis 2:7
then the LORD God formed [that is, created the body of] man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being [an individual complete in body and spirit].

Genesis 2:8
And the LORD God planted a garden (oasis) in the east, in Eden (delight, land of happiness); and He put the man whom He had formed (created) there.

Genesis 2:10
Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden; and from there it divided and became four [branching] rivers.

Genesis 2:11
The first [river] is named Pishon; it flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold.

Genesis 2:12
The gold of that land is good; bdellium (a fragrant, valuable resin) and the onyx stone are found there.

Genesis 2:13
The name of the second river is Gihon; it flows around the entire land of Cush [in Mesopotamia].

Genesis 2:14
The third river is named Hiddekel (Tigris); it flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge,.... Of God, Christ, and the Gospel; not only bow the ear and bend the mind to these things, but importunately and fervently pray for them; not only attend the ministry of the word by men, but cry to God to give the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of divine and spiritual things; which supposes some sense of a want of it, an hearty desire for it, having some apprehension of the worth and value of it; and that it is to be had, as there is indeed great reason to hope for and expect it, James 1:5;

[and] liftest up thy voice for understanding; for Christ, who is understanding as well as wisdom, Proverbs 8:14; or rather for an understanding of the Gospel and the mysteries of it, which men do not naturally understand; and for which there must be an understanding given, or the eyes of the understanding must be enlightened; or Christ, by his spirit and grace, must open the understanding, that it may understand these things; which is granted to those who lift up their voice in prayer for it.