Proverbs 23:19
New International Version
Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:

New Living Translation
My child, listen and be wise: Keep your heart on the right course.

English Standard Version
Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way.

Berean Standard Bible
Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course.

King James Bible
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

New King James Version
Hear, my son, and be wise; And guide your heart in the way.

New American Standard Bible
Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

NASB 1995
Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

NASB 1977
Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

Legacy Standard Bible
You, my son, listen and be wise, And direct your heart in the way.

Amplified Bible
Listen, my son, and be wise, And direct your heart in the way [of the LORD].

Christian Standard Bible
Listen, my son, and be wise; keep your mind on the right course.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Listen, my son, and be wise; keep your mind on the right course.

American Standard Version
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way.

Contemporary English Version
Listen to me, my children! Be wise and have enough sense to follow the right path.

English Revised Version
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
My son, listen, be wise, and keep your mind going in the right direction.

Good News Translation
Listen, my child, be wise and give serious thought to the way you live.

International Standard Version
Listen, my son, and be wise, commit yourself to live God's way.

Majority Standard Bible
Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course.

NET Bible
Listen, my child, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right way.

New Heart English Bible
Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path.

Webster's Bible Translation
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart in the way.

World English Bible
Listen, my son, and be wise, and keep your heart on the right path!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Hear, my son, and be wise, "" And make your heart blessed in the way,

Young's Literal Translation
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And make happy in the way thy heart,

Smith's Literal Translation
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thy heart right in the way.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Hear thou, my son, and be wise: and guide thy mind in the way.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Listen, my son, and be wise, and direct your soul along the way.

New American Bible
Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the right way.

New Revised Standard Version
Hear, my child, and be wise, and direct your mind in the way.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Hear, my son, and be wise, and fasten my counsel in your heart.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Hear, my son, and be wise, and set up my doctrine in your heart.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Hear thou, my son, and be wise, And guide thy heart in the way.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Hear, my son, and be wise, and rightly direct the thoughts of thine heart.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
True Riches
18For surely there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. 19Listen, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart on the right course. 20Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat.…

Cross References
Proverbs 4:23
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.

Proverbs 4:26-27
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. / Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.

Proverbs 1:5
let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel

Proverbs 2:2
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; / in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.

Proverbs 19:20
Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.

Proverbs 22:17
Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise—apply your mind to my knowledge—

Proverbs 24:14
Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.

Proverbs 28:26
He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. / But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ...

Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

Luke 6:47-49
I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them: / He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the torrent crashed against that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. / But the one who hears My words and does not act on them is like a man who built his house on ground without a foundation. The torrent crashed against that house, and immediately it fell—and great was its destruction!”

Romans 12:2
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Ephesians 5:15-17
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, / redeeming the time, because the days are evil. / Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.


Treasury of Scripture

Hear you, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.

and guide

Proverbs 23:12,26
Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge…

Proverbs 4:10-23
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many…

in the way or 'in the right way'

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Proverbs 23
1. Consider carefully what is before you














Listen
The Hebrew word for "listen" is "שְׁמַע" (shema), which implies not just hearing but also obeying and understanding. In the ancient Near Eastern context, listening was an active process that involved a commitment to act upon what was heard. This call to listen is a foundational principle in the wisdom literature of the Bible, emphasizing the importance of being receptive to instruction and guidance. It is a reminder that wisdom begins with a posture of humility and openness to learning.

my son
The phrase "my son" is a common address in the book of Proverbs, reflecting the intimate and personal nature of the instruction. It suggests a relationship of care and responsibility, akin to that of a father to his child. This familial language underscores the importance of the teachings as coming from a place of love and concern for the well-being of the listener. Historically, this reflects the tradition of passing down wisdom from one generation to the next, ensuring the continuity of godly living.

and be wise
The Hebrew word for "wise" is "חָכָם" (chakam), which encompasses not only knowledge but also the skillful application of that knowledge in daily life. Wisdom in the biblical sense is practical and moral, guiding one to live in accordance with God's will. The exhortation to "be wise" is a call to actively pursue and cultivate wisdom, recognizing it as a valuable and essential quality for a righteous life.

and guide your heart
The phrase "guide your heart" involves the Hebrew concept of the heart, "לֵב" (lev), which in biblical terms refers to the center of one's inner life, including mind, will, and emotions. To guide one's heart is to exercise control and direction over one's inner thoughts and desires. This reflects the biblical understanding that true wisdom involves not only external actions but also the internal orientation of one's life towards God.

on the right course
The "right course" implies a path of righteousness and integrity, aligned with God's commandments and principles. The Hebrew word for "right" is "יָשָׁר" (yashar), meaning straight or upright. This imagery of a path or course is common in wisdom literature, symbolizing the journey of life and the choices one makes along the way. The exhortation to guide one's heart on the right course is a call to live a life that is pleasing to God, marked by moral and spiritual integrity.

(19) Hear thou, my son, whatever others may do. (Comp. above, on Proverbs 22:19.)

Guide thine heart in the way.--That is, of God. (Comp. Isaiah 40:3, and note on Acts 9:2.)

Verses 19-21. - An exhortation to temperance, as one of the results of the fear of God, prefaced by an exhortation to wisdom. Verse 19. - Hear thou. The pronoun gives force and personality to the injunction (Job 33:33). Guide thine heart in the way. (For אשׁר, "to guide straight," see on Proverbs 4:14) "The way" is the right way, in distinction to the many wrong paths of life - the way of understanding, as it is called (Proverbs 9:6). Septuagint, "Direct aright the thoughts of thy heart," for right thoughts lead to right actions.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Listen,
שְׁמַע־ (šə·ma‘-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

my son,
בְנִ֣י (ḇə·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son

and be wise,
וַחֲכָ֑ם (wa·ḥă·ḵām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2449: To be wise

and guide
וְאַשֵּׁ֖ר (wə·’aš·šêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 833: To be straight, to go forward, be honest, proper

your heart
לִבֶּֽךָ׃ (lib·be·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3820: The heart, the feelings, the will, the intellect, centre

on the right course.
בַּדֶּ֣רֶךְ (bad·de·reḵ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 23:19 Listen my son and be wise (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 23:18
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