Proverbs 2
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,
My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you,
2 That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:
make your ears pay attention to wisdom and incline your heart to understanding.
3 For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:
If you cry out for understanding and raise your voice for it,
4 If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:
if you seek it like you would seek silver and search for understanding as you would seek hidden treasures,
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.
then you will understand the fear of Yahweh and you will find the knowledge of God.
6 Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.
For Yahweh gives wisdom, from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
7 He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity.
He stores up sound wisdom for those who please him, he is a shield for those who walk in integrity,
8 Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.
he guards the paths of justice and he will preserve the way of those who are faithful to him.
9 Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.
Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and equity, and every good path.
10 If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:
For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,
Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you.
12 That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:
They will rescue you from the way of evil, from those who speak perverse things,
13 Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:
who abandon the right paths and walk in the ways of darkness.
14 Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:
They rejoice when they do evil and delight in the perversities of evil.
15 Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.
They follow crooked paths, and using deception they hide their tracks.
16 That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words:
Wisdom and discretion will save you from an adulterous woman, from an immoral woman and her flattering words.
17 And forsaketh the guide of her youth,
She forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.
18 And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell. (questioned)
For her house leads down to death and her tracks will lead you to those in the grave.
19 None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life,
All who go in to her will not return again and they will not find the paths of life.
20 That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.
So you will walk in the way of good people and follow the paths of righteous people.
21 For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it.
For those doing right will make a home in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.
But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the faithless will be cut off from it.
