Proverbs 2
1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,
2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom [and] thou apply thy heart to understanding;
That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:
3 yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;
For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:
4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:
If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:
5 then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.
6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.
Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [he] is a shield to them that walk in integrity;
He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity.
8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.
Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.
Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,
If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:
11 discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:
Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,
12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the man that speaketh froward things;
That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:
13 [from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:
14 who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil;
Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:
15 whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:
Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;
That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words:
17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;
And forsaketh the guide of her youth,
18 — for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;
And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell. (questioned)
19 none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:
None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life,
20 — that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.
That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;
For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it.
22 but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.
But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.
