< Proverbs 2 >

1 My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you,
我兒，你若接受我的話，把我的誡命存在心中，
2 so as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
側耳細聽智慧，專心尋求睿智；
3 yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;
你若呼求明哲，揚聲召尋睿智；
4 if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;
你若尋求她如尋求銀子，搜索她如搜索寶藏，
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
你必能領悟什麼是敬畏上主，也能明白什麼是認識天主。
6 For the LORD gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
因為，恩賜智慧的是上主，知識和睿智都出自他的口。
7 He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
他給正直人保留了救援，又是行止成全者的護盾。
8 that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his saints.
他護守正直人的行徑，他保衛虔誠者的道路；
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
這樣，你必能明瞭仁義和公平，明瞭正直和一切向善的道路。
10 For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
如果智慧進入了你的心，智識成了你的喜樂，
11 Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,
慎思就必監護你，睿智也必防守你，
12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things,
使你遠離邪道，遠離言詞荒謬的人：
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness,
即那些離棄正道，走上黑暗之途，
14 who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil,
喜愛行惡，在邪惡中喜樂的人。
15 who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths,
他們的道路彎曲不直，他們的行徑邪僻不正。
16 to deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,
智慧將救你脫離淫婦，脫離甘言蜜語的娼妓。
17 who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God;
她離棄了少年時的良友，忘記了她的天主的盟約；
18 for her house leads down to death, her paths to the departed spirits.
為此，她的家屬趨向死亡，她的行徑通往黃泉；
19 None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life.
凡行近她的人，沒有一個返回，再不會走上生路。
20 Therefore walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
為此，你應走善人的道路，持守義人的行徑，
21 For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.
因為只有正直的人纔能住在地上，只有成全的人方得在那裏居留。
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.
但是，作惡的人必由地上剷除，違法的人必由其中拔除。

< Proverbs 2 >