Proverbs 2

Rewards of Wisdom

1 My child, listen to what I say and remember what I command you.

2 Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding.

3 Cry out for wisdom, and beg for understanding.

4 Search for it like silver, and hunt for it like hidden treasure.

5 Then you will understand respect for the Lord, and you will find that you know God.

6 Only the Lord gives wisdom; he gives knowledge and understanding.

7 He stores up wisdom for those who are honest. Like a shield he protects the innocent.

8 He makes sure that justice is done, and he protects those who are loyal to him.

9 Then you will understand what is honest and fair and what is the good and right thing to do.

10 Wisdom will come into your mind, and knowledge will be pleasing to you.

11 Good sense will protect you; understanding will guard you.

12 It will keep you from the wicked, from those whose words are bad,

13 who don’t do what is right but what is evil.

14 They enjoy doing wrong and are happy to do what is crooked and evil.

15 What they do is wrong, and their ways are dishonest.

16 It will save you from the unfaithful wife who tries to lead you into adultery with pleasing words.

17 She leaves the husband she married when she was young. She ignores the promise she made before God.

18 Her house is on the way to death; those who took that path are now all dead.

19 No one who goes to her comes back or walks the path of life again.

20 But wisdom will help you be good and do what is right.

21 Those who are honest will live in the land, and those who are innocent will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the unfaithful will be thrown out of 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.