Proverbs 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15 whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 Then shalt thou 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 understanding.

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

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

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

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

11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

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

13 Who leave 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;

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

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

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

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

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

20 That thou mayest 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.

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

1 My child, wilt thou accept my speech, and keep my commandments with thee?

2 Let thine ear be attentive to wisdom, and incline thine heart diligently unto it.

3 For if thou shalt diligently call for it, and pray for it,

4 If thou seek them as silver, and search them out as treasures,

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

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

7 He maketh the upright to prosper, and shieldeth the pious.

8 And keep them that do right, and keep the way of his saints.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and justice, and godliness, and every good way.

10 Where wisdom is in thy heart, that thou mayest gladly learn,

11 Good counsel shall preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee,

12 That thou enter not into the way of the wicked, nor among perverse babblers,

13 Those who go out of the right way and walk in darkness,

14 Who delight to do evil, and are merry in their evil, perverse nature,

15 Who turn aside their way, and follow their way;

16 Lest thou fall in with another's wife, and she be not thine, which speaketh evil words.

17 Forsaking the Lord of their youth, and forgetting the covenant of their God;

18 For their house inclineth unto death, and their courses unto the lost;

19 All who enter into it do not return and do not take the way of life:

20 That thou mayest walk in a good way, and keep thee in the paths of righteousness.

21 For the righteous shall dwell in the land, and the upright shall dwell within;

22 But the wicked shall be cut off out of the land, and the reprobate shall be destroyed out of it.