Proverbs 2

Chapter 2

The Benefits of Wisdom

1 My child,t listen to what I say,
and treasure my commands.2 Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.3 Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.4 Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD,
and you will gain knowledge of God.6 For the LORD grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.7 He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.8 He guards the paths of the just
and protects those who are faithful to him.9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,
and you will find the right way to go.10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will fill you with joy.11 Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.12 Wisdom will save you from evil people,
from those whose words are twisted.13 These men turn from the right way
to walk down dark paths.14 They take pleasure in doing wrong,
and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.15 Their actions are crooked,
and their ways are wrong.16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman,
from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.17 She has abandoned her husband
and ignores the covenant she made before God.18 Entering her house leads to death;
it is the road to the grave.t19 The man who visits her is doomed.
He will never reach the paths of life.20 Follow the steps of good men instead,
and stay on the paths of the righteous.21 For only the godly will live in the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it.22 But the wicked will be removed from the land,
and the treacherous will be uprooted.

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.