Proverbs 2

1My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

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

1My son, if you will take my words to your heart, storing up my laws in your mind;

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

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

2So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge;

3yea, if thou criest after discernment [and] liftest up thy voice to understanding;

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

3Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;

4if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasures:

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

4If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth;

5then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, and find the knowledge ofGod.

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

5Then the fear of the Lord will be clear to you, and knowledge of God will be yours.

6For Jehovah giveth wisdom; out of his mouth [come] knowledge and understanding.

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

6For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason:

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

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

7He has salvation stored up for the upright, he is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil;

8guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of hisgodly ones.

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

8He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him.

9Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

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

9Then you will have knowledge of righteousness and right acting, and upright behaviour, even of every good way.

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

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

10For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;

11discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:

11Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

11Wise purposes will be watching over you, and knowledge will keep you;

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

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

12Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false;

13[from those] who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

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

13Who give up the way of righteousness, to go by dark roads;

14who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of evil;

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

14Who take pleasure in wrongdoing, and have joy in the evil designs of the sinner;

15whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:

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

15Whose ways are not straight, and whose footsteps are turned to evil:

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

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

16To take you out of the power of the strange woman, who says smooth words with her tongue;

17who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of herGod;

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

17Who is false to the husband of her early years, and does not keep the agreement of her God in mind:

18— for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead;

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

18For her house is on the way down to death; her footsteps go down to the shades:

19none that go unto her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

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

19Those who go to her do not come back again; their feet do not keep in the ways of life:

20— that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, and keep the paths of the righteous.

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

20So that you may go in the way of good men, and keep in the footsteps of the upright.

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

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

21For the upright will be living in the land, and the good will have it for their heritage.

22but the wicked shall be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.

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

22But sinners will be cut off from the land, and those whose acts are false will be uprooted.