PROV 5:2 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible—click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed as a tool for doing comparisons of different translations—the older translations are further down the page (so you can read up from the bottom to trace the English translation history). The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible—please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance to us=normal (All still tentative.)

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

BrLXX ἵνα φυλάξῃς ἔννοιαν ἀγαθήν· αἴσθησις δὲ ἐμῶν χειλέων ἐντέλλεταί σοι·
(hina fulaxaʸs ennoian agathaʸn; aisthaʸsis de emōn ⱪeileōn entelletai soi; )

BrTr that thou mayest keep good understanding, and the discretion of my lips gives thee a charge.
¶ Give no heed to a worthless woman;

UST Do this so that you will be able to choose wisely what to do,
⇔ and so that you will know the right things to say.

OEB No OEB PROV book available

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

WMBB (Same as above)

NET in order to safeguard discretion,
⇔ and that your lips may guard knowledge.

LSV To observe thoughtfulness,
And your lips keep knowledge.

FBV so you can make good decisions and protect knowledge with your lips.[fn]

5:2 “Protect knowledge in what you say”: literally, “your lips will guard knowledge.”

T4T If you do that, you will be able to choose wisely what to do,
⇔ and you will know the right things to say [MTY].

LEB • in order to keep prudence, and knowledge will guard your lips.

BBE So that you may be ruled by a wise purpose, and your lips may keep knowledge.

Moff that caution may be your safeguard,
⇔ and prudence may take care of you;
⇔ keep hold of caution and sound sense,

JPS That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

ASV That thou mayest preserve discretion,
⇔ And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

DRA That thou mayst keep thoughts, and thy lips may preserve instruction. Mind not the deceit of a woman.

YLT To observe thoughtfulness, And knowledge do thy lips keep.

Drby that thou mayest keep reflection, and that thy lips may preserve knowledge.

RV That thou mayest preserve discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
(That thou/you mayest/may preserve discretion, and that thy/your lips may keep knowledge. )

SLT To watch meditation, and thy lips shall guard knowledge.

Wbstr That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

KJB-1769 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
(That thou/you mayest/may regard discretion, and that thy/your lips may keep knowledge. )

KJB-1611 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keepe knowledge.
(Modernised spelling is same as from KJB-1769 above)

Bshps That thou mayest regarde good counsell, and that thy lippes may kepe knowledge.
(That thou/you mayest/may regard good council/counsel, and that thy/your lips may keep knowledge.)

Gnva That thou maiest regarde counsell, and thy lippes obserue knowledge.
(That thou/you mayest/may regard council/counsel, and thy/your lips observe knowledge. )

Cvdl yt thou mayest regarde good councell, and that thy lippes maye kepe nurtoure.
(it thou/you mayest/may regard good councell, and that thy/your lips may keep nurtoure.)

Wycl and thi lippis kepe teching. Yyue thou not tent to the falsnesse of a womman;
(and thy/your lips keep teaching. Give thou/you not tent to the falsness of a woman;)

Luth daß du behaltest guten Rat und dein Mund wisse Unterschied zu haben.
(that you(sg) keepst good advice and your(s) mouth know Unterschied to/for have.)

ClVg ut custodias cogitationes, et disciplinam labia tua conservent. Ne attendas fallaciæ mulieris;[fn]
(as guards thoughts, and discipline lips your conservent. Don't attendas fallaciæ woman's; )

5.2 Labia tua. Labia, etc., usque ad vel turpia faciendo commaculat.

5.2 lips your. lips, etc., until to or turpia doing commaculat.

SOTN SIL Open Translator’s Notes:

Section 5:1–23: Eighth lesson: Avoid the temptation to commit adultery

A summary of this lesson is: Stay away from a woman who commits adultery, or you will bitterly regret it (5:1–14). Instead, be delighted with your own wife (5:15–20), because the LORD sees everything you do and will punish wickedness (5:21–23).

Some other headings for this section are:

Advice to stay away from a woman who commits adultery

Warning About Adultery (NCV)

Avoid Adultery (GW)

Be Faithful to Your Wife (CEV)

Paragraph 5:1–6

In this paragraph, the father urges the son to pay attention to his wise words (5:1) so that he will always be cautious and sensible in what he does and says (5:2). The reason for this caution is that it will enable him to resist the tempting invitation of the adulteress whose path leads straight to death (5:3–6).

5:2

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning. Both lines give the purpose or intended consequence of the admonitions stated in 5:1.

^2athat you may maintain discretion

^2band your lips may preserve knowledge.

5:2a

that you may maintain discretion

Then you^(sing) will always think carefully about what you should do,
Then you will always be prudent/careful in what you do,

that you may maintain discretion: The Hebrew word mǝzimmah, which the BSB translates as discretion, indicates the ability to make an effective plan. It refers to the shrewdness or prudence that causes a person to carefully consider what to do.

To maintain discretion means to always use discretion in your planning and actions. Other ways to translate this line are:

Then you will show discernment (NLT)

Then you will know how to behave properly (GNT)

so that you may act with foresight (GW)

The word “discretion” first occurs in Proverbs in 1:4b. See discretion in the Glossary.

5:2b

and your lips may preserve knowledge.

and your words will show that you have knowledge. (GNT)
and you will always know the right thing to say. (CEV)

your lips may preserve knowledge: The clause that the BSB translates as your lips may preserve knowledge is a figure of speech in which the word lips represents the whole person. It means that the person will be careful in expressing his knowledge. He will express only what he knows to be true.This interpretation is followed by the GNT, CEV, NCV, NLT, and GW. It is supported by Fox (page 191), Delitzsch (page 85), and Waltke (page 307). Whybray (page 85) supports the interpretation that you will be careful not to reveal what you have learned. Some English versions, including the BSB, NIV, RSV, and NJB, are ambiguous. They do not specify how a person will guard or preserve knowledge. Other ways to translate this clause are:

your lips will express what you’ve learned (NLT)

you will always know the right thing to say (CEV)

knowledge: In this context, the word knowledge refers primarily to the information that a person knows. See knowledge in the Glossary.

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

לִ⁠שְׁמֹ֥ר מְזִמּ֑וֹת וְ֝⁠דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥י⁠ךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ

to=guard/protect discretion and,knowledge lips_of,your guard

In this verse, Solomon speaks of discretion as if it were an object that someone should keep, and he speaks of knowledge as if it were an object that someone’s lips should guard. He means that he wants his son to be wise in his choices and in the things that he says. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “in order to keep making good choices and speaking with knowledge”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns

מְזִמּ֑וֹת

discretion

See how you translated the abstract noun discretion in [1:4](../01/04.md).

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / synecdoche

וְ֝⁠דַ֗עַת שְׂפָתֶ֥י⁠ךָ יִנְצֹֽרוּ

and,knowledge lips_of,your guard

Here, lips represents the person who speaks by moving his lips. If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: “and you may guard knowledge by what you say”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

וְ֝⁠דַ֗עַת

and,knowledge

Here, knowledge refers to what the son has learned from his father. If it would be helpful in your language, you could state this explicitly. Alternate translation: “and … what you have learned”

Parallel PROV 5:2

Section 5:1–23: Eighth lesson: Avoid the temptation to commit adultery

Paragraph 5:1–6

5:2

5:2a

5:2b