Proverbs 2
The father instructs his son to seek wisdom as eagerly as silver and hidden treasure, promising that the LORD gives wisdom and guards the paths of the just. Wisdom delivers from the way of the evil man and from the strange woman whose house leads to death.
| v | King James Version | Modern English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; | My son, if You will receive my words and treasure up my commandments with You, |
| 2 | So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; | so that You incline Your ear to wisdom and apply Your heart to understanding; |
| 3 | Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; | if You cry out for knowledge and lift up Your voice for understanding; |
| 4 | If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; | if You seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures, |
| 5 | Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. | then You will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. |
| 6 | For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. | For the LORD gives wisdom; out of His mouth come knowledge and understanding. |
| 7 | He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. | He stores up sound wisdom for the righteous; he is a shield to those who walk uprightly. |
| 8 | He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. | He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. |
| 9 | Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path. | Then You will understand righteousness, justice, and fairness — every good path. |
| 10 | When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; | When wisdom enters Your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to Your soul, |
| 11 | Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: | discretion will preserve You, and understanding will keep You, |
| 12 | To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; | to deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man who speaks perverse things, |
| 13 | Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; | who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness, |
| 14 | Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; | who rejoice to do evil and delight in the perverseness of the wicked, |
| 15 | Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: | whose ways are crooked, and who are perverse in their paths. |
| 16 | To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; | Wisdom will deliver you from the strange woman, even from the stranger who flatters with her words, |
| 17 | Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. | who forsakes the guide of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God. |
| 18 | For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. | For her house leans toward death, and her paths to the dead. |
| 19 | None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. | None who go to her return again, nor do they take hold of the paths of life. |
| 20 | That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. | So you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. |
| 21 | For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. | For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it. |
| 22 | But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. | But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors will be rooted out of it. |