Proverbs 2

The Benefit of Wisdom

1 My son,if you take my words to heartand treasure my commands within you,2 if you pay close attention to wisdom,and let your mind reach for understanding,3 if indeed you call out for insight,if you ask aloud for understanding,4 if you search for wisdom as if it were moneyand hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure,5 then you will understand the fear of the Lordand you will find the knowledge of God.6 The Lord gives wisdom.From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.7 He has reserved priceless wisdom for decent people.He is a shield for those who walk in integrity8 in order to guard those on paths of justiceand to watch over the way of his godly ones.9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good course in life.10 Wisdom will come into your heart.Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.11 Foresight will protect you.Understanding will guard you.12 Wisdom will save youfrom the way of evil,from the person who speaks devious things,13 from those who abandon the paths of righteousnessto walk the ways of darkness,14 from those who enjoy doing evil,from those who find joy in the deviousness of evil.15 Their paths are crooked.Their ways are devious.16 Wisdom will also save youfrom an adulterous woman,from a loose woman with her smooth talk,17 who leaves her husband, the closest friend of her youth,and forgets her marriage vows to her God.18 Her house sinks down to death.Her ways lead to the souls of the dead.19 None who have sex with her come back.Nor do they ever reach the paths of life.20 So walk in the way of good peopleand stay on the paths of righteous people.21 Decent people will live in the land.People of integrity will remain in it.22 But wicked people will be cut off from the landand treacherous people will be tornt from it.

Proverbs 2

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom

1 My child,t ifs you receive my words,
and store ups my commands within you,

2 by makingt your ears attentive to wisdom,
andt by turningt your heartt to understanding,

3 indeed, ift you call out fort discernments –
raise your voicet for understanding –

4 ift you seekt it like silver,s
and search for its like hidden treasure,

5 then you will understandt how to fear the Lord,t
and you will discovert knowledget about God.t

6 Fort the Lord givest wisdom,
and from his mouths comest knowledge and understanding.

7 He stores upss effective counselt for the upright,s
and is liket a shieldt for those who livet with integrity,t

8 to guardt the paths of the righteoust
and to protectt the way of his pious ones.st

9 Then you will understandt righteousness and justice
and equity – everyt goodt way.t

10 For wisdom will enter your heart,t
and moral knowledget will be attractivet to you.t

11 Discretiont will protect you,t
understanding will guard you,

12 to delivert you from the way of the wicked,t
from thoset speaking perversity,t

13 who leavet the uprightt paths
to walk on the darkt ways,

14 who delightt in doingt evil,t
they rejoice in perverse evil;t

15 whose pathst are morally crooked,t
and who are devioust in their ways;

16 to deliver yous from the adulteress,t
from the sexually loose womant who speaks flatteringt words;ts

17 who leavest the husbandt from her younger days,t
and forgets her marriage covenantt made before God.t

18 For her houset sinkss down to death,
and her paths leadt to the place of the departed spirits.t

19 None who go in to her will return,t
nor will they reach the paths of life.s

20 Sot you will walk in the way of good people,t
and will keep on the paths of the righteous.t

21 For the upright will reside in the land,
and those with integrityt will remain in it,

22 but the wickedt will be removedt from the land,
and the treacheroust will be torn awayt from it.