Proverbs 2

1 My son, if you accept my sayings, And lay up my commands with you,

My son, listen to what I say, and [consider my instructions to be as valuable as] [MET] a treasure.

2 To cause your ear to attend to wisdom, You incline your heart to understanding,

Pay attention to wisdom and try hard to understand it.

3 For if you call for intelligence, [And] give forth your voice for intelligence,

Call out [to God] to get insight; plead with him to help you to understand more [of what he wants you to know].

4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as hid treasures,

Search [eagerly] for wisdom, like you would search for silver, like you would search for a treasure that someone has hidden.

5 Then you understand the fear of YHWH, And you find the knowledge of God.

If you do that, you will understand how to revere Yahweh, and you will succeed in knowing God.

6 For YHWH gives wisdom, Knowledge and understanding from His mouth.

Yahweh is the one who gives us wisdom. He is the one who tells us things that we need to know and understand.

7 Even to lay up substance for the upright, A shield for those walking uprightly.

He gives good advice to those who conduct their lives as they should. He protects [MET] those who do what is right.

8 To keep the paths of judgment, And He preserves the way of His saints.

He guards those who act justly/fairly [toward others], and he watches over those who are faithful/loyal [to him].

9 Then you understand righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness—every good path.

[If you ask God for wisdom], you will understand what is right and just [DOU] [to do], and [you will know] the right way to conduct your life,

10 For wisdom comes into your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

because you will be wise in your inner being; and knowing [what God wants you to know] will cause you to be joyful.

11 Thoughtfulness watches over you, Understanding keeps you,

If you know [PRS] how to choose what is right to do and if you understand [what God wants] you to do, God will protect you and guard you and keep you safe.

12 To deliver you from an evil way, From any speaking contrary things,

If you are wise [PRS], you will not do what evil people do, and you will not [believe what] deceitful people say.

13 Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,

Deceitful people have stopped acting fairly/justly [toward others] and (walk on dark and evil paths/do what evil people do) [MET].

14 Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in [the] contrariness of the wicked,

They enjoy doing what is wrong; they like to do what is evil and to deceive [people].

15 Whose paths [are] crooked, Indeed, they are perverted in their ways.

They (walk on crooked paths/always deceive others) and are always dishonest.

16 To deliver you from the strange woman, From the stranger who has made her sayings smooth,

If you are wise [PRS], you will [also] be saved from (immoral women/prostitutes); you will not pay attention when adulterous women try to (seduce/entice you by what they say.)

17 Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And has forgotten the covenant of her God.

Those women have left the husbands whom they married when they were young; they have disregarded the solemn promise they made to God [not to commit adultery].

18 For her house has inclined to death, And her paths to Rephaim.

If you go into houses of women who are like that, you will die [when you are still young]; the road [to their houses] leads to hell. (questioned)

19 None going in to her return, Nor do they reach the paths of life.

No man who (visits/sleeps with) a woman like that will again [live harmoniously with his family]. He will never have a [happy] life again.

20 That you go in the way of the good, And keep the paths of the righteous.

If [you are wise], you should behave like good men behave. You should (stay on the paths that righteous [people] walk on/do what godly people do) [MET],

21 For the upright inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,

because only godly people will live in this land [and receive God’s blessings]; [only] those who have not done wrong will stay here [for a long time].

22 And the wicked are cut off from the earth, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!

Wicked [people] will be expelled from this land, and [people] who are not trustworthy will be thrown {God will throw them} out of it.