Proverbs 2

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

My son, if thou will receive my words, and lay up my commandments with thee,

2 So that thou incline thy ear to wisdom, [and] apply thy heart to understanding;

so as to incline thine ear to wisdom, and apply thy heart to understanding,

3 Yes, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding;

yea, if thou cry after discernment, and lift up thy voice for understanding,

4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures;

if thou seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures,

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

then thou shall understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge of God.

6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.

For Jehovah gives wisdom. Out of his mouth is knowledge and understanding.

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

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

8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

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

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; [and] every good path.

Then thou shall understand righteousness and justice and equity, yea, every good path.

10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart, and knowledge is pleasant to thy soul;

For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge shall be pleasant to thy soul,

11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

discretion shall watch over thee, understanding shall keep thee,

12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], from the man that speaketh froward things;

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

13 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, [and] delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

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

15 Whose ways [are] crooked, and [they] froward in their paths:

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

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, [even] from the stranger [who] flattereth with her words;

to deliver thee from the interloping woman, even from the stranger who flatters with her words,

17 Who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

who forsakes the companion of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God

18 For her house inclineth to death, and her paths to the dead.

(for her house inclines to death, and her paths to the dead;

19 None that go to her return again, neither do they take hold of the paths of life.

none who go to her return again, nor do they attain to the paths of life),

20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good [men], and keep the paths of the righteous.

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

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

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

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

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