< Proverbs 2 >

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my sayings, and, my commandments, wilt treasure up by thee;
我兒，你若接受我的話，把我的誡命存在心中，
2 So that thou direct, unto wisdom, thine ear, bend thy heart, unto understanding;
側耳細聽智慧，專心尋求睿智；
3 Yea if, for understanding, thou cry aloud, for knowledge, utter thy voice;
你若呼求明哲，揚聲召尋睿智；
4 If thou seek her as silver, and, like hid treasure, thou search for her,
你若尋求她如尋求銀子，搜索她如搜索寶藏，
5 Then, shalt thou understand the reverence of Yahweh, and, the knowledge of God, shalt thou find.
你必能領悟什麼是敬畏上主，也能明白什麼是認識天主。
6 For, Yahweh, giveth wisdom, out of his mouth, knowledge and understanding;
因為，恩賜智慧的是上主，知識和睿智都出自他的口。
7 Yea he treasureth, for the upright, safety, A shield [is he] to them who walk in integrity,
他給正直人保留了救援，又是行止成全者的護盾。
8 To him that observeth the paths of justice, yea, the way of his men of lovingkindness, he doth guard.
他護守正直人的行徑，他保衛虔誠者的道路；
9 Then, shalt thou understand righteousness and justice, and equity—every noble course.
這樣，你必能明瞭仁義和公平，明瞭正直和一切向善的道路。
10 When wisdom entereth thy heart, and, knowledge, to thy soul, is sweet,
如果智慧進入了你的心，智識成了你的喜樂，
11 Discretion, shall watch over thee, understanding, shall preserve thee: —
慎思就必監護你，睿智也必防守你，
12 To rescue thee from the way of the wrongful, from the man that speaketh perverse things;
使你遠離邪道，遠離言詞荒謬的人：
13 From them who forsake the paths of rectitude, to walk in the ways of darkness;
即那些離棄正道，走上黑暗之途，
14 Who rejoice to do wrong, exult in the perversities of the wrongful;
喜愛行惡，在邪惡中喜樂的人。
15 Whose paths, are twisted, and they are tortuous in their tracks:
他們的道路彎曲不直，他們的行徑邪僻不正。
16 To rescue thee, from the woman that is a stranger, from the female unknown, who with her speeches seduceth;
智慧將救你脫離淫婦，脫離甘言蜜語的娼妓。
17 Who forsaketh the friend of her youth, and, the covenant of her God, hath forgotten;
她離棄了少年時的良友，忘記了她的天主的盟約；
18 For she hath appointed, unto death, her house, and unto the shades, her courses;
為此，她的家屬趨向死亡，她的行徑通往黃泉；
19 None who go in unto her, come back, neither attain they unto the paths of life:
凡行近她的人，沒有一個返回，再不會走上生路。
20 To the end that thou walk in the way of good men, and, the paths of the righteous, that thou observe.
為此，你應走善人的道路，持守義人的行徑，
21 For, the upright, shall abide on the earth, —and, the men of integrity, shall remain therein;
因為只有正直的人纔能住在地上，只有成全的人方得在那裏居留。
22 But, the lawless, out of the earth, shall be cut off, and, traitors, shall they tear away therefrom.
但是，作惡的人必由地上剷除，違法的人必由其中拔除。

< Proverbs 2 >