Proverbs 2

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

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

2 So that thou make thine ear attend unto wisdom, and thy heart incline to discernment;

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

3 Yea, if thou call for understanding, and lift up thy voice for discernment;

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

4 If thou 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 shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

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

6 For the LORD giveth wisdom, out of His mouth cometh knowledge and discernment;

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

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

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

8 That He may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of His godly ones.

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

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

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

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

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

11 Discretion shall watch over thee, discernment shall guard thee;

Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

12 To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men that speak froward 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 frowardness of evil;

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

15 Who are crooked in their ways, and perverse 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 alien woman that maketh smooth her words;

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

17 That forsaketh the lord of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

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

18 For her house sinketh down unto death, and her paths unto the shades;

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

19 None that go unto her return, neither do they attain unto the paths of life;

None who go to her return again, neither 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.

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 whole-hearted 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 land, and the faithless shall be plucked up out of it.

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