Proverbs 2

1 My son, if thou wouldst but accept my words, and treasure up my commandments with thee;

[My] son, if you will receive the utterance of my commandment, and hide it with you;

2 To let thy ear listen unto wisdom: [if] thou wouldst incline thy heart to understanding.

your ear shall listen to wisdom; you shall also apply your heart to understanding, and shall apply it to the instruction of your son.

3 For if thou wilt call after intelligence; if after understanding thou wilt lift up thy voice;

For it you shall call to wisdom, and utter your voice for understanding;

4 If thou wilt seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

and if you shall seek it as silver, and search diligently for it as for treasures;

5 Then wilt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and the knowledge of God wilt thou find.

then shall you understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the Lord giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.

For the Lord gives wisdom; and from his presence [come] knowledge and understanding,

7 He treasureth up sound wisdom for the righteous, as a shield to those that walk in integrity:

and he treasures up salvation for them that walk uprightly: he will protect their way;

8 That men may keep the paths of justice; and the way of his pious servants doth he guard.

that he may guard the righteous ways: and he will preserve the way of them that fear him.

9 Then wilt thou understand righteousness, and justice, and equity: yea, every track of goodness.

Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgement; and shall direct all your course aright.

10 For wisdom will enter thy heart, and knowledge will be pleasant unto thy soul;

For if wisdom shall come into your understanding, and discernment shall seem pleasing to your soul,

11 Discretion will watch over thee, understanding will keep thee;

good counsel shall guard you, and holy understanding shall keep you;

12 To deliver thee from the way of the bad, from the man that speaketh perverse things;

to deliver you from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

13 [From those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

Alas [for those] who forsake right paths, to walk in ways of darkness;

14 Who rejoice to do evil, who are delighted in the perverseness of the bad;

who rejoice in evils, and delight in wicked perverseness;

15 Who as regardeth their paths are crooked, and froward in their tracks.

whose paths are crooked, and their courses winding;

16 To deliver thee from the adulteress, from the alien woman that useth flattering speeches;

to remove you far from the straight way, and to estrange you from a righteous purpose. [My] son, let not evil counsel overtake you,

17 That forsaketh the friend of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

[of her] who has forsaken the instruction of her youth, and forgotten the covenant of God.

18 For she sinketh unto death—her house, and unto the departed [lead] her tracks.

For she has fixed her house near death, and [guided] her wheels near Hades with the giants.

19 All that come unto her return not again, and they will not reach the paths of life.

None that go by her shall return, neither shall they take hold of right paths, for they are not apprehended of the years of life.

20 In order that thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and observe the paths of the righteous.

For had they gone in good paths, they would have found the paths of righteousness easy.

21 For the upright will dwell on the earth, and the perfect will be left remaining on it.

For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, and the treacherous shall be plucked up therefrom.

The paths of the ungodly shall perish out of the earth, and transgressors shall be driven away from it.