< Proverbs 2 >
1 My sonne, if thou wilt receiue my wordes, and hide my commandements within thee,
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and lay up my commandments with thee;
2 And cause thine eares to hearken vnto wisdome, and encline thine heart to vnderstanding,
So that thou make thine ear attend unto wisdom, and thy heart incline to discernment;
3 (For if thou callest after knowledge, and cryest for vnderstanding:
Yea, if thou call for understanding, and lift up thy voice for discernment;
4 If thou seekest her as siluer, and searchest for her as for treasures,
If thou seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;
5 Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God.
Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord giueth wisdome, out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding.
For the LORD giveth wisdom, out of His mouth cometh knowledge and discernment;
7 He preserueth the state of the righteous: he is a shielde to them that walke vprightly,
He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright, He is a shield to them that walk in integrity;
8 That they may keepe the wayes of iudgement: and he preserueth the way of his Saintes)
That He may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of His godly ones.
9 Then shalt thou vnderstand righteousnes, and iudgement, and equitie, and euery good path.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness and justice, and equity, yea, every good path.
10 When wisdome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge deliteth thy soule,
For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;
11 Then shall counsell preserue thee, and vnderstanding shall keepe thee,
Discretion shall watch over thee, discernment shall guard thee;
12 And deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that speaketh froward things,
To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men that speak froward things;
13 And from them that leaue the wayes of righteousnes to walke in the wayes of darkenes:
Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Which reioyce in doing euill, and delite in the frowardnesse of the wicked,
Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of evil;
15 Whose wayes are crooked and they are lewde in their paths.
Who are crooked in their ways, and perverse in their paths;
16 And it shall deliuer thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger, which flattereth with her wordes.
To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words;
17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God.
That forsaketh the lord of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 Surely her house tendeth to death, and her paths vnto the dead.
For her house sinketh down unto death, and her paths unto the shades;
19 All they that goe vnto her, returne not againe, neither take they holde of the wayes of life.
None that go unto her return, neither do they attain unto the paths of life;
20 Therefore walke thou in the way of good men, and keepe the wayes of the righteous.
That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the iust shall dwell in the land, and the vpright men shall remaine in it.
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the whole-hearted shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shalbe cut off from ye earth, and the transgressours shalbe rooted out of it.
But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the faithless shall be plucked up out of it.