Proverbs 2
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
2 So that thou incline thy ear to wisdom, [and] apply thy heart to understanding;
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,
3 Yes, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding;
if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures;
if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.
For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,
8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.
9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; [and] every good path.
Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thy heart, and knowledge is pleasant to thy soul;
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.
11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,
12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], from the man that speaketh froward things;
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,
13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 Who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,
15 Whose ways [are] crooked, and [they] froward in their paths:
whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.
16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, [even] from the stranger [who] flattereth with her words;
It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words
17 Who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
who abandons the partner 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 sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.
19 None that go to her return again, neither do they take hold of the paths of life.
None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good [men], and keep the paths of the righteous.
So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will 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 will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.
