Proverbs 2

1 My sonne, if thou wilt receiue my wordes, and hide my commandements within thee,

My son, if you would accept my words, and conceal my commandments within you,

2 And cause thine eares to hearken vnto wisdome, and encline thine heart to vnderstanding,

so that your ears may listen to wisdom, then bend your heart in order to know prudence.

3 (For if thou callest after knowledge, and cryest for vnderstanding:

For if you would call upon wisdom and bend your heart to prudence,

4 If thou seekest her as siluer, and searchest for her as for treasures,

if you will seek her like money, and dig for her as if for treasure,

5 Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God.

then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will discover the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord giueth wisdome, out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding.

For the Lord bestows wisdom, and out of his mouth, prudence and knowledge.

7 He preserueth the state of the righteous: he is a shielde to them that walke vprightly,

He will preserve the salvation of the righteous, and he will protect those who walk in simplicity:

8 That they may keepe the wayes of iudgement: and he preserueth the way of his Saintes)

serving the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of sanctity.

9 Then shalt thou vnderstand righteousnes, and iudgement, and equitie, and euery good path.

Then you shall understand justice and judgment, and equity, and every good path.

10 When wisdome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge deliteth thy soule,

If wisdom is to enter into your heart, and if knowledge is to become pleasing to your soul,

11 Then shall counsell preserue thee, and vnderstanding shall keepe thee,

then counsel must guard you, and prudence must serve you,

12 And deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that speaketh froward things,

so that you may be rescued from the evil way, and from the man who speaks perversities,

13 And from them that leaue the wayes of righteousnes to walke in the wayes of darkenes:

from those who leave the straight path to walk in dark ways,

14 Which reioyce in doing euill, and delite in the frowardnesse of the wicked,

who rejoice when they have done evil, and who exult in the most wicked things.

15 Whose wayes are crooked and they are lewde in their paths.

Their ways are perverse, and their steps are infamous.

16 And it shall deliuer thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger, which flattereth with her wordes.

So may you be rescued from the foreign woman, and from the outsider, who softens her speech,

17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God.

and who leaves behind the Guide of her youth,

18 Surely her house tendeth to death, and her paths vnto the dead.

and who has forgotten the covenant of her God. For her household inclines toward death, and her paths toward Hell. (questioned)

19 All they that goe vnto her, returne not againe, neither take they holde of the wayes of life.

All those who enter to her will not return again, nor will they take hold of the paths of life.

20 Therefore walke thou in the way of good men, and keepe the wayes of the righteous.

So may you walk in the good way, and keep to the difficult paths of the just.

21 For the iust shall dwell in the land, and the vpright men shall remaine in it.

For those who are upright shall live upon the earth, and the simple shall continue upon it.

22 But the wicked shalbe cut off from ye earth, and the transgressours shalbe rooted out of it.

Yet truly, the impious shall perish from the earth, and those who act unjustly shall be taken away from it.