< Proverbs 2 >

1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,
我兒，你若接受我的話，把我的誡命存在心中，
2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;
側耳細聽智慧，專心尋求睿智；
3 yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;
你若呼求明哲，揚聲召尋睿智；
4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest 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 shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, 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 Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] 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 layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;
他給正直人保留了救援，又是行止成全者的護盾。
8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.
他護守正直人的行徑，他保衛虔誠者的道路；
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: 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 When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,
如果智慧進入了你的心，智識成了你的喜樂，
11 discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:
慎思就必監護你，睿智也必防守你，
12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;
使你遠離邪道，遠離言詞荒謬的人：
13 [from those] who leave 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 frowardness of evil;
喜愛行惡，在邪惡中喜樂的人。
15 whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:
他們的道路彎曲不直，他們的行徑邪僻不正。
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;
智慧將救你脫離淫婦，脫離甘言蜜語的娼妓。
17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth 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 inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;
為此，她的家屬趨向死亡，她的行徑通往黃泉；
19 none that go unto 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 — that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, 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 shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall 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 shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up 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 >