| 2:1 |
My son, if you will take my words to your heart, storing up my laws in your mind; |
| 2:2 |
So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge; |
| 2:3 |
Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge; |
| 2:4 |
If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth; |
| 2:5 |
Then the fear of the Lord will be clear to you, and knowledge of God will be yours. |
| 2:6 |
For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason: |
| 2:7 |
He has salvation stored up for the upright, he is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil; |
| 2:8 |
He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him. |
| 2:9 |
Then you will have knowledge of righteousness and right acting, and upright behaviour, even of every good way. |
| 2:10 |
For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul; |
| 2:11 |
Wise purposes will be watching over you, and knowledge will keep you; |
| 2:12 |
Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false; |
| 2:13 |
Who give up the way of righteousness, to go by dark roads; |
| 2:14 |
Who take pleasure in wrongdoing, and have joy in the evil designs of the sinner; |
| 2:15 |
Whose ways are not straight, and whose footsteps are turned to evil: |
| 2:16 |
To take you out of the power of the strange woman, who says smooth words with her tongue; |
| 2:17 |
Who is false to the husband of her early years, and does not keep the agreement of her God in mind: |
| 2:18 |
For her house is on the way down to death; her footsteps go down to the shades: |
| 2:19 |
Those who go to her do not come back again; their feet do not keep in the ways of life: |
| 2:20 |
So that you may go in the way of good men, and keep in the footsteps of the upright. |
| 2:21 |
For the upright will be living in the land, and the good will have it for their heritage. |
| 2:22 |
But sinners will be cut off from the land, and those whose acts are false will be uprooted. |
