Proverbs 2

1 My son, if you will receive my words, and hide my commandments with you;

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

2 So that you incline your ear unto wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

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

3 Yea, if you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding;

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

4 If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures;

if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures;

5 Then shall you understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

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

6 For the LORD gives wisdom: out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

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

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

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

8 He keeps the paths of judgment, and perserves the way of his saints.

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

9 Then shall you understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

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

10 When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto your soul;

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

11 Discretion shall preserve you, understanding shall keep you:

Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

12 To deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaks perverse things;

to deliver you 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 perverseness of the wicked;

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

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

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

16 To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flatters with her words;

to deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,

17 Which forsakes the guide of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Therefore 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 will dwell in the land. The perfect 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. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.