Proverbs 2

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

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee;

2 Pay attention to wisdom and try hard to understand it.

So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thy heart to understanding;

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

Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding;

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

If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures:

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

Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God.

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

For Jehovah giveth wisdom; Out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding:

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

He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [He is] a shield to them that walk in integrity;

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

That he may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of his saints.

9 [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,

Then shalt thou understand righteousness and justice, And equity, [yea], every good path.

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

For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;

11 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.

Discretion shall watch over thee; Understanding shall keep thee:

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

To deliver thee from the way of evil, From the men that speak perverse things;

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

Who forsake the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;

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

Who rejoice to do evil, And delight in the perverseness of evil;

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

Who are crooked in their ways, And wayward in their paths:

16 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.)

To deliver thee from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words;

17 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].

That forsaketh the friend of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God:

18 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)

For her house inclineth unto death, And her paths unto the dead;

19 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.

None that go unto her return again, Neither do they attain unto the paths of life:

20 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],

That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous.

21 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].

For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it.

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

But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.