Lectionary Calendar
Friday, July 18th, 2025
the Week of Proper 10 / Ordinary 15
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Read the Bible

New Revised Standard

Proverbs 19:8

To get wisdom is to love oneself; to keep understanding is to prosper.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Wisdom;   The Topic Concordance - Finding;   Goodness;   Understanding;   Wisdom;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gift, Giving;   Witness;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The one who acquires good sense loves himself;one who safeguards understanding finds success.
Hebrew Names Version
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.
King James Version
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
English Standard Version
Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good.
New American Standard Bible
One who gets wisdom loves his own soul; One who keeps understanding will find good.
New Century Version
Those who get wisdom do themselves a favor, and those who love learning will succeed.
Amplified Bible
He who gains wisdom and good sense loves (preserves) his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good and prosper.
World English Bible
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding shall find good.
Geneva Bible (1587)
He that possesseth vnderstanding, loueth his owne soule, and keepeth wisdome to finde goodnesse.
Legacy Standard Bible
He who acquires a heart of wisdom loves his own soul;He who keeps discernment will find good.
Berean Standard Bible
He who acquires wisdom loves himself; one who safeguards understanding will find success.
Contemporary English Version
Do yourself a favor by having good sense— you will be glad you did.
Complete Jewish Bible
To acquire good sense is to love oneself; to treasure discernment is to prosper.
Darby Translation
He that getteth sense loveth his own soul; he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
Easy-to-Read Version
Be a friend to yourself; do all you can to be wise. Try hard to understand, and you will be rewarded.
George Lamsa Translation
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; he who keeps faithfulness shall find good.
Good News Translation
Do yourself a favor and learn all you can; then remember what you learn and you will prosper.
Lexham English Bible
He who acquires wisdom loves himself; he who guards understanding loves to find good.
Literal Translation
He who gets heart loves his own soul, he who keeps understanding finds good.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
He that is wyse, loueth his owne soule: and who so hath vnderstondinge, shal prospere.
American Standard Version
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: He that keepeth understanding shall find good.
Bible in Basic English
He who gets wisdom has love for his soul: he who keeps good sense will get what is truly good.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul; he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
King James Version (1611)
He that getteth wisedome loueth his owne soule: he that keepeth vnderstanding shall find good.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
He that is wise loueth his owne soule, and kepeth vnderstanding, that he may prosper.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
He that procures wisdom loves himself; and he that keeps wisdom shall find good.
English Revised Version
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
but he that holdith stabli the mynde, loueth his soule, and the kepere of prudence schal fynde goodis.
Update Bible Version
He that gets wisdom loves his own soul: He that keeps understanding shall find good.
Webster's Bible Translation
He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.
New English Translation
The one who acquires wisdom loves himself; the one who preserves understanding will prosper.
New King James Version
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.
New Living Translation
To acquire wisdom is to love yourself; people who cherish understanding will prosper.
New Life Bible
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul. He who keeps understanding will find good.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
He that acquireth sense, loveth his own soul, he that guardeth understanding, shall find blessing.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But he that possesseth a mind, loveth his own soul, and he that keepeth prudence, shall find good things.
Revised Standard Version
He who gets wisdom loves himself; he who keeps understanding will prosper.
Young's Literal Translation
Whoso is getting heart is loving his soul, He is keeping understanding to find good.
THE MESSAGE
Grow a wise heart—you'll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head—you'll find a good life.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He who gets wisdom loves his own soul; He who keeps understanding will find good.

Contextual Overview

8 To get wisdom is to love oneself; to keep understanding is to prosper.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

wisdom: Heb. an heart, Proverbs 17:16, Ezekiel 36:26

loveth: Proverbs 8:35, Proverbs 8:36, John 12:25, 1 Peter 3:10

he that keepeth: Proverbs 2:1-9, Proverbs 3:18, Proverbs 3:21, Proverbs 4:4, Proverbs 4:6, Proverbs 4:21, Proverbs 16:20, Proverbs 22:18, Psalms 19:11, John 14:21

Reciprocal: Proverbs 4:5 - Get wisdom Proverbs 10:14 - lay

Cross-References

Genesis 18:5
Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant." So they said, "Do as you have said."
Genesis 19:31
And the firstborn said to the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of all the world.
Genesis 19:38
The younger also bore a son and named him Ben-ammi; he is the ancestor of the Ammonites to this day.
Genesis 42:37
Then Reuben said to his father, "You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my hands, and I will bring him back to you."
Exodus 32:22
And Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are bent on evil.
Judges 9:15
And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'
Judges 19:24
Here are my virgin daughter and his concubine; let me bring them out now. Ravish them and do whatever you want to them; but against this man do not do such a vile thing."
Isaiah 58:7
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Mark 9:6
He did not know what to say, for they were terrified.
Romans 3:8
And why not say (as some people slander us by saying that we say), "Let us do evil so that good may come"? Their condemnation is deserved!

Gill's Notes on the Bible

He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul,.... Wisdom and knowledge in things natural and civil; and especially in things divine, spiritual, and evangelical; particularly he that gets Christ, the Wisdom of God, and a saving knowledge of him; see Proverbs 3:13. Or, "he that getteth a heart" p; a good heart, as the Targum explains it; which is a new heart, and a new spirit; a clean heart and a right spirit; a heart of flesh, a soft, tender, and contrite one, in opposition to a hard heart, a heart of stone: a wise and understanding heart, such an one as Solomon had; a heart to know the Lord, and to fear him; in which his laws are written, the graces of his Spirit are implanted; and in which God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit, dwell: he who is desirous of such a he art seeks after it, prays for it, and uses all means to obtain it; and who, through the grace of God; does possess it, as the word signifies; he by all this shows that he has a regard to the good and welfare of his immortal soul; when such, who indulge to ignorance and a wicked heart, wrong and hate their own souls; see

Proverbs 29:24;

he that keepeth understanding shall find good; retains the wisdom he has got; holds fast instruction, and keeps it, which is committed to him; abides by the doctrines of the Gospel, and does not depart from them; keeps the ordinances of it, which it is his wisdom and understanding to do; see Deuteronomy 4:6; he finds his account in all this; he finds that which is good, good for him now and hereafter; he finds Christ, and life in him; peace, joy, and comfort in this world: and, in the world to come, glory, honour, and happiness.

p לב "cor", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Mercerus, &c.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Wisdom - literally, as in the margin, to gain a “heart,” i. e., the higher faculties both of reason and feeling, is identical with gaining wisdom, i. e., the faculty which seeks and finds.


 
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