Proverbs 2

1 My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,

My son, listen to what I say, and [consider my instructions to be as valuable as] [MET] a treasure.

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

Pay attention to wisdom and try hard to understand it.

3 if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,

Call out [to God] to get insight; plead with him to help you to understand more [of what he wants you to know].

4 if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,

Search [eagerly] for wisdom, like you would search for silver, like you would search for a treasure that someone has hidden.

5 then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.

If you do that, you will understand how to revere Yahweh, and you will succeed in knowing God.

6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Yahweh is the one who gives us wisdom. He is the one who tells us things that we need to know and understand.

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,

He gives good advice to those who conduct their lives as they should. He protects [MET] those who do what is right.

8 to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.

He guards those who act justly/fairly [toward others], and he watches over those who are faithful/loyal [to him].

9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.

[If you ask God for wisdom], you will understand what is right and just [DOU] [to do], and [you will know] the right way to conduct your life,

10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.

because you will be wise in your inner being; and knowing [what God wants you to know] will cause you to be joyful.

11 Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,

If you know [PRS] how to choose what is right to do and if you understand [what God wants] you to do, God will protect you and guard you and keep you safe.

12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,

If you are wise [PRS], you will not do what evil people do, and you will not [believe what] deceitful people say.

13 from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,

Deceitful people have stopped acting fairly/justly [toward others] and (walk on dark and evil paths/do what evil people do) [MET].

14 from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,

They enjoy doing what is wrong; they like to do what is evil and to deceive [people].

15 whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.

They (walk on crooked paths/always deceive others) and are always dishonest.

16 It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words

If you are wise [PRS], you will [also] be saved from (immoral women/prostitutes); you will not pay attention when adulterous women try to (seduce/entice you by what they say.)

17 who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

Those women have left the husbands whom they married when they were young; they have disregarded the solemn promise they made to God [not to commit adultery].

18 For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.

If you go into houses of women who are like that, you will die [when you are still young]; the road [to their houses] leads to hell. (questioned)

19 None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.

No man who (visits/sleeps with) a woman like that will again [live harmoniously with his family]. He will never have a [happy] life again.

20 So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

If [you are wise], you should behave like good men behave. You should (stay on the paths that righteous [people] walk on/do what godly people do) [MET],

21 For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

because only godly people will live in this land [and receive God’s blessings]; [only] those who have not done wrong will stay here [for a long time].

22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.

Wicked [people] will be expelled from this land, and [people] who are not trustworthy will be thrown {God will throw them} out of it.