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 my words, and store up my commandments within you;

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

So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

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

Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;

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

If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

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

then you will 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. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

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

He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;

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

that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his faithful ones.

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

Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

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

For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

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

Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

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

to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

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

who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

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

who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;

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

who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:

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

To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

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

who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God:

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

for her house leads down to death, her paths to the dead.

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

None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

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

that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

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

For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.

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

But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be uprooted out of it.