Proverbs 2

Wisdom’s Worth

2My son, if you accept my words ^w

and store up my commands within you,

²listening closely ^xto wisdom

and directing your heart to understanding;

³furthermore, if you call out to insight

and lift your voice to understanding,

⁴if you seek it like silver

and search for it like hidden treasure, ^y

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and discover the knowledge of God.

⁶For the Lord gives wisdom;

from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. ^z

⁷He stores up success ^afor the upright;

He is a shield for those who live with integrity ^b

⁸so that He may guard the paths of justice

and protect the way of His loyal followers. ^c

⁹Then you will understand righteousness, justice,

and integrity—every good path.

¹⁰For wisdom will enter your mind,

and knowledge will delight your heart.

¹¹Discretion will watch over you,

and understanding will guard you, ^d

¹²rescuing you from the way of evil—

from the one who says perverse things,

¹³from those who abandon the right paths

to walk in ways of darkness, ^e

¹⁴from those who enjoy doing evil ^f

and celebrate perversion,

¹⁵whose paths are crooked, ^g

and whose ways are devious. ^h

¹⁶It will rescue you from a forbidden woman, ⁱ

from a stranger ^jwith her flattering talk, ^k

¹⁷who abandons the companion of her youth ^l

and forgets the covenant of her God;

¹⁸for her house sinks down to death

and her ways to the land of the departed spirits. ^m

¹⁹None return who go to her;

none reach the paths of life. ⁿ

²⁰So follow the way of good people, ^o

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright will inhabit the land,

and those of integrity will remain in it; ^p

²²but the wicked will be cut off from the land, ^q

and the treacherous uprooted from it. ^r