Bible Reading Plan

Chapter 3

The Rewards of Wisdom

¹ My son, ^(C1)do not forget my ^(F1)teaching,
But have your heart ^(C2)comply with my commandments;

² For ^(C1)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.

³ Do not let ^(C1)kindness and truth leave you;
^(C2)Bind them around your neck,
^(C3)Write them on the tablet of your heart.

⁴ So you will ^(C1)find favor and a ^(C2)good ^(F1)reputation
In the sight of God and man.

^5 (C1)Trust in the LORD with all your heart
And ^(C2)do not lean on your own understanding.

⁶ In all your ways ^(C1)acknowledge Him,
And He will ^(C2)make your paths straight.

^7 (C1)Do not be wise in your own eyes;
^(C2)Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

⁸ It will be ^(C1)healing to your ^(F1)body
And ^(C2)refreshment to your bones.

^9 (C1)Honor the LORD from your wealth,
And from the ^(C2)first of all your produce;

¹⁰ Then your ^(C1)barns will be filled with plenty,
And your ^(C2)vats will overflow with new wine.

^11 (C1)My son, do not reject the ^(F1)discipline of the LORD
Or loathe His rebuke,

¹² For ^(C1)whom the LORD loves He disciplines,
Just ^(C2)as a father disciplines the son in whom he delights.

^13 (C1)Blessed is a person who finds wisdom,
And one who obtains understanding.

¹⁴ For ^(F1)her ^(C1)profit is better than the profit of silver,
And her produce better than gold.

¹⁵ She is ^(C1)more precious than ^(F1)jewels,
And nothing you desire compares with her.

^16 (F1)(C1)Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are ^(C2)riches and honor.

¹⁷ Her ^(C1)ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are ^(C2)peace.

¹⁸ She is a ^(C1)tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are those who hold on to her.

¹⁹ The LORD founded the earth ^(C1)by wisdom,
He ^(C2)established the heavens by understanding.

²⁰ By His knowledge the ^(C1)ocean depths were burst open,
And the ^(C2)clouds drip with dew.

²¹ My son, see that ^(C1)they do not escape from your sight;
Comply with sound wisdom and discretion,

²² And they will be ^(C1)life to your soul
And ^(C2)adornment to your neck.

²³ Then you will ^(C1)walk in your way securely,
And your foot will not ^(C2)stumble.

²⁴ When you ^(C1)lie down, you will not be afraid;
When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

^25 (C1)Do not be afraid of sudden danger,
Nor of ^(C2)trouble from the wicked when it comes;

²⁶ For the LORD will be ^(F1)your confidence,
And will ^(C1)keep your foot from being caught.

^27 (C1)Do not withhold good from ^(F1)those to whom it is due,
When it is in your power to do it.

^28 (C1)Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back,
And tomorrow I will give it to you,"
When you have it with you.

^29 (C1)Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
While he lives securely beside you.

^30 (C1)Do not contend with a person for no reason,
If he has done you no harm.

^31 (C1)Do not envy a violent person,
And do not choose any of his ways.

³² For the ^(C1)devious are an abomination to the LORD;
But ^(F1)He is ^(C2)intimate with the upright.

³³ The ^(C1)curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
But He ^(C2)blesses the home of the righteous.

³⁴ Though ^(C1)He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet ^(C2)He gives grace to the needy.

^35 (C1)The wise will inherit honor,
But fools ^(F1)increase dishonor.

Chapter 4

A Father's Instruction

¹ Listen, my sons, to the ^(C1)instruction of a father,
And ^(C2)pay attention so that you may ^(F1)gain understanding,

² For I give you good ^(C1)teaching;
^(C2)Do not abandon my ^(F1)instruction.

³ When I was a son to my father,
^(C1)Tender and ^(C2)the only son in the sight of my mother,

⁴ He ^(C1)taught me and said to me,
"Let your heart ^(C2)take hold of my words;
^(C3)Keep my commandments and live;

^5 (C1)Acquire wisdom! ^(C2)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

⁶ "Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
^(C1)Love her, and she will watch over you.

⁷ "^(C1)The ^(F1)beginning of wisdom is: ^(C2)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.

⁸ "^(C1)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.

⁹ "She will place ^(C1)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty."

¹⁰ Listen, my son, and ^(C1)accept my sayings,
And the ^(C2)years of your life will be many.

¹¹ I have ^(C1)instructed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.

¹² When you walk, your ^(C1)steps will not be hampered;
And if you run, you ^(C2)will not stumble.

^13 (C1)Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your ^(C2)life.

^14 (C1)Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil people.

¹⁵ Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.

¹⁶ For they ^(C1)cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And ^(F1)they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

¹⁷ For they ^(C1)eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ But the ^(C1)path of the righteous is like the ^(C2)light of dawn
That ^(C3)shines brighter and brighter until the ^(C4)full day.

¹⁹ The ^(C1)way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they ^(F1)(C2)stumble.

²⁰ My son, ^(C1)pay attention to my words;
^(C2)Incline your ear to my sayings.

^21 (C1)They are not to escape from your sight;
^(C2)Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²² For they are ^(C1)life to those who find them,
And ^(C2)healing to all ^(F1)their body.

²³ Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For ^(C1)from it flow the springs of life.

²⁴ Rid yourself of a ^(C1)deceitful mouth
And ^(C2)keep devious ^(F1)speech far from you.

²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your ^(F1)gaze be fixed straight in front of you.

^26 (F1)(C1)Watch the path of your feet,
And all your ^(C2)ways will be established.

^27 (C1)Do not turn to the right or to the left;
^(C2)Turn your foot from evil.

Chapter 5

Pitfalls of Immorality

¹ My son, ^(C1)pay attention to my wisdom,
^(C2)Incline your ear to my understanding,

² So that you may ^(C1)maintain discretion
And your ^(C2)lips may comply with knowledge.

³ For the lips of an ^(F1)(C1)adulteress ^(C2)drip honey,
And her ^(F2)speech is ^(C3)smoother than oil;

⁴ But in the end she is ^(C1)bitter as wormwood,
^(C2)Sharp as a two-edged sword.

⁵ Her feet ^(C1)go down to death,
Her steps take hold of Sheol.

^6 (F1)She does not ponder the ^(C1)path of life;
Her ways are ^(C2)unstable, she ^(C3)does not know it.

^7 (C1)Now then, my sons, listen to me
And ^(C2)do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

^8 (C1)Keep your way far from her,
And do not go near the ^(C2)door of her house,

⁹ Otherwise you will give your vigor to others,
And your years to the cruel one;

¹⁰ And strangers will be filled with your strength,
And your hard-earned possessions will go to the house of a foreigner;

¹¹ And you will groan ^(F1)in ^(F2)the end,
When your flesh and your body are consumed;

¹² And you say, "How I ^(C1)hated instruction!
And my heart ^(C2)disdainfully rejected rebuke!

¹³ "I did not listen to the voice of my ^(C1)teachers,
Nor incline my ear to my instructors!

¹⁴ "I was almost in total ruin
In the midst of the assembly and congregation."<