Proverbs 2

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;footnote a

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.footnote b

The Benefits of Wisdom

1My son, if you accept my wordsand hide my commandments within you, 2if you incline your ear to wisdomand direct your heart to understanding, 3if you truly call out to insightand lift your voice to understanding, 4if you seek it like silverand search it out like hidden treasure, 5then you will discern the fear of the LORDand 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 justiceand protect the way of His saints.

9Then you will discern righteousnessand 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 pathsto walk in the ways of darkness, 14from those who enjoy doing eviland rejoice in the twistedness of evil, 15whose paths are crookedand whose ways are devious.

16It will rescue you from the forbidden woman,footnote afrom the strangerfootnote bwith seductive words 17who abandons the partner of her youthand forgets the covenant of her God. 18For her house sinks down to death,and her tracks to the departed spirits.footnote c 19None who go to her returnor 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.