Proverbs — Chapter 2

1My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,

2if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,

3if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,

4if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,

5then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.

6For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,

8to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.

9Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.

10For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.

11Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,

12to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,

13from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,

14from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,

15whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.

16It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words

17who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

18For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.

19None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.

20So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.

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

2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

3Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

11Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

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

13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And lay up my commandments with thee;

2So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom, And apply thy heart to understanding;

3Yea, if thou cry after discernment, And lift up thy voice for understanding;

4If thou seek her as silver, And search for her as for hid treasures:

5Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God.

6For Jehovah giveth wisdom; Out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding:

7He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; [He is] a shield to them that walk in integrity;

8That he may guard the paths of justice, And preserve the way of his saints.

9Then shalt thou understand righteousness and justice, And equity, [yea], every good path.

10For wisdom shall enter into thy heart, And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;

11Discretion shall watch over thee; Understanding shall keep thee:

12To deliver thee from the way of evil, From the men that speak perverse things;

13Who forsake the paths of uprightness, To walk in the ways of darkness;

14Who rejoice to do evil, And delight in the perverseness of evil;

15Who are crooked in their ways, And wayward in their paths:

16To deliver thee from the strange woman, Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words;

17That forsaketh the friend of her youth, And forgetteth the covenant of her God:

18For her house inclineth unto death, And her paths unto the dead;

19None that go unto her return again, Neither do they attain unto the paths of life:

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

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

22But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.

1My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands inside yourself,

2by making your ear attentive to wisdom and by turning your heart to understanding,

3indeed, if you call out for discernment— shout loudly for understanding—

4if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure,

5then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God.

6For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

7He stores up effective counsel for the upright and is like a shield for those who live with integrity,

8to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones.

9Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way.

10For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.

11Discretion will protect you; understanding will guard you

12to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity,

13who leave the upright paths to walk on the dark ways,

14who delight in doing evil; they rejoice in perverse evil,

15whose paths are morally crooked and who are devious in their ways,

16to deliver you from the adulterous woman, from the loose woman who has flattered you with her words,

17who leaves the husband from her younger days and has ignored her marriage covenant made before God.

18For she has set her house by death and her paths by the place of the departed spirits.

19None who go in to her will return, nor will they reach the paths of life.

20So you will walk in the way of good people and will keep on the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright will reside in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,

22but the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be torn away from it.

1My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;

2So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

3Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;

4If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

5then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.

6For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

7He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;

8that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his saints.

9Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

10For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

12to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

13who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;

15who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:

16To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

17who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God:

18for her house leads down to death, her paths to the departed spirits.

19None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

20that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.

22But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.