Proverbs 2:1–11

My son, if you receive my words

and treasure up my commandments with you,

making your ear attentive to wisdom

and inclining your heart to understanding;

yes, if you call out for insight

and raise your voice for understanding,

if you seek it like silver

and search for it as for hidden treasures,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;

he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,

guarding the paths of justice

and watching over the way of his saints.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice

and equity, every good path;

for wisdom will come into your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;

discretion will watch over you,

understanding will guard you,

My son, if you accept my words

and store up my commands within you,

turning your ear to wisdom

and applying your heart to understanding—

indeed, if you call out for insight

and cry aloud for understanding,

and if you look for it as for silver

and search for it as for hidden treasure,

then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He holds success in store for the upright,

he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,

for he guards the course of the just

and protects the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand what is right and just

and fair—every good path.

For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

Discretion will protect you,

and understanding will guard you.

My child, listen to what I say,

and treasure my commands.

Tune your ears to wisdom,

and concentrate on understanding.

Cry out for insight,

and ask for understanding.

Search for them as you would for silver;

seek them like hidden treasures.

Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,

and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom!

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

He guards the paths of the just

and protects those who are faithful to him.

Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,

and you will find the right way to go.

For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will fill you with joy.

Wise choices will watch over you.

Understanding will keep you safe.

My child, if you will receive my sayings,

and hide my commands with you,

in order to incline your ear toward wisdom,

then you shall apply your heart to understanding.

For if you cry out for understanding,

if you lift your voice for insight,

if you seek her like silver

and search her out like treasure,

then you will understand the fear of Yahweh,

and the knowledge of God you will find.

For Yahweh will give wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

For the upright, he stores sound judgment, a shield for those who walk uprightly,

in order to guard paths of justice

and keep the way of his faithful ones.

Then you will understand righteousness and justice

and uprightness—every good course—

for wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul.

Discretion will watch over you;

understanding will protect you,

My son, if thou wilt receive my words,

And hide my commandments with thee;

So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom,

And apply thine heart to understanding;

Yea, if thou criest after knowledge,

And liftest up thy voice for understanding;

If thou seekest her as silver,

And searchest for her as for hid treasures;

Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord,

And find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord giveth wisdom:

Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:

He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

He keepeth the paths of judgment,

And preserveth the way of his saints.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment,

And equity; yea, every good path.

When wisdom entereth into thine heart,

And knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;

Discretion shall preserve thee,

Understanding shall keep thee: