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 you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you;

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

So that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your 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].

Yes, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your 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 you 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 shall you understand the fear of the LORD, 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 the LORD gives wisdom: out of his mouth comes 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 lays up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

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

He keeps the paths of judgment, and preserves 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 shall you understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yes, 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.

When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your 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 preserve you, understanding shall keep you:

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 you from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaks fraudulent 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 leave 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 frowardness of the wicked;

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

Whose ways are crooked, and they fraudulent 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 you from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flatters 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].

Which forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgets 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 inclines to death, and her paths to 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 to her return again, neither take they hold of 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 you may 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 earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.