King James Version

Proverbs 8:5

O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

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Hebrew

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הָבִ֣ינוּhavinvunderstandבִּיןverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “understand”, a commandH995to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understandattend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill(-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) und…פְתָאיִ֣םfetayimfoolishפְּתִיnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “foolish”, the ordinary formH6612silly (i.e. seducible)foolish, simple(-icity, one).עָרְמָ֑הaremahguileעׇרְמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “guile”, the ordinary formH6195trickery; or (in a good sense) discretionguile, prudence, subtilty, wilily, wisdom.וּ֝כְסִילִ֗יםukhesilimand foolכְּסִילconjunction, adjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “and fool”, the ordinary formH3684properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or sillyfool(-ish).הָבִ֥ינוּhavinvunderstandבִּיןverb, hiphil, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “understand”, a commandH995to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understandattend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill(-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) und…לֵֽבlevcomfortablyלֵבnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “comfortably”, the ordinary formH3820the heart; also used (figuratively) very widely for the feelings, the will and even the intellect; likewise for the centre of anything[phrase] care for, comfortably, consent, [idiom] considered, courag(-eous), friend(-ly), ((broken-), (hard-), (merry-), (stiff-), (stout-), double) heart(-ed), [idiom] heed, [idiom] I, kindly, midst, mind(-ed), [idiom] regard(-ed), [idiom]…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

O ye thoughtless, understand prudence, and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

O ye simple, understand prudence; And, ye fools, be of an understanding heart.

Young’s Literal Translation

Understand, ye simple ones, prudence, And ye fools, understand the heart,

World English Bible

You simple, understand prudence! You fools, be of an understanding heart!

Darby Translation

O ye simple, understand prudence; and ye foolish, understand sense.

Douay-Rheims

O little ones, understand subtilty, and ye unwise, take notice.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

O ye thoughtless, understand prudence, and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

O ye simple, understand subtlety, and ye that are untaught, imbibe knowledge.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Νοήσατε ἄκακοι πανουργίαν, οἱ δὲ ἀπαίδευτοι ἔνθεσθε καρδίαν.