Proverbs 2

Good Things Come From Wisdom

2My son, accept my words.

Store up my commands inside you.

²Let your ears listen to wisdom.

Apply your heart to understanding.

³Call out for the ability to be wise.

Cry out for understanding.

⁴Look for it as you would look for silver.

Search for it as you would search for hidden treasure.

⁵Then you will understand how to have respect for the Lord.

You will find out how to know God.

⁶The Lord gives wisdom.

Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.

⁷He stores up success for honest people.

He is like a shield to those who live without blame. He keeps them safe.

⁸He guards the path of those who are honest.

He watches over the way of his faithful ones.

⁹You will understand what is right and honest and fair.

You will understand the right way to live.

¹⁰Your heart will become wise.

Your mind will delight in knowledge.

¹¹Good sense will keep you safe.

Understanding will guard you.

¹²Wisdom will save you from the ways of evil men.

It will save you from men who twist their words.

¹³Men like that leave the straight paths

to walk in dark ways.

¹⁴They take delight in doing what is wrong.

They take joy in twisting everything around.

¹⁵Their paths are crooked.

Their ways are not straight.

¹⁶Wisdom will save you from a woman who commits adultery.

It will save you from a sinful wife and her tempting words.

¹⁷She leaves the man she married when she was young.

She breaks the promise she made to her God.

¹⁸Her house leads down to death.

Her paths lead to the spirits of the dead.

¹⁹No one who goes to her comes back

or reaches the paths of life.

²⁰You will walk in the ways of good people.

You will follow the paths of those who do right.

²¹Honest people will live in the land.

Those who are without blame will remain in it.

²²But sinners will be cut off from the land.

Those who aren’t faithful will be torn away from it.