Proverbs 2

2ND CHAPTER

The Benefit of Wisdom

¹My son, 

if you take my words ⸤to heart⸥ 

and treasure my commands within you, 

²if you pay close attention to wisdom, 

and let your mind reach for understanding, 

³if indeed you call out for insight, 

if you ask aloud for understanding, 

⁴if you search for wisdom as if it were money 

and hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure, 

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord 

and you will find the knowledge of God. 

⁶The Lord gives wisdom. 

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

⁷He has reserved priceless wisdom for decent people. 

He is a shield for those who walk in integrity 

⁸in order to guard those on paths of justice 

and to watch over the way of his godly ones. 

⁹Then you will understand what is right and just and fair— 

every good course ⸤in life⸥. 

¹⁰Wisdom will come into your heart. 

Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 

¹¹Foresight will protect you. 

Understanding will guard you. 

¹²⸤Wisdom will⸥ save you 

from the way of evil, 

from the person who speaks devious things, 

¹³from those who abandon the paths of righteousness 

to walk the ways of darkness, 

¹⁴from those who enjoy doing evil, 

from those who find joy in the deviousness of evil. 

¹⁵Their paths are crooked. 

Their ways are devious. 

¹⁶⸤Wisdom will⸥ also save you 

from an adulterous woman, 

from a loose woman with her smooth talk, 

¹⁷who leaves ⸤her husband,⸥ the closest friend of her youth, 

and forgets her marriage vows to her God. 

¹⁸Her house sinks down to death. 

Her ways lead to the souls of the dead. 

¹⁹None who have sex with her come back. 

Nor do they ever reach the paths of life. 

²⁰So walk in the way of good people 

and stay on the paths of righteous people. 

²¹Decent people will live in the land. 

People of integrity will remain in it. 

²²But wicked people will be cut off from the land 

and treacherous people will be torn^afrom it.