Proverbs 2

The good results of wise words

1Learn what I teach you, my son. And never forget what I ask you to do.

2Listen to my wise words and try to understand them.

3Yes, do not stop asking for wise words. Do not stop asking until you understand.

4Look for wisdom as you would look for silver. Look for it as for valuable stones that someone has hidden under the ground.

5So you will know how to be afraid of the LORD. And you will learn about God.

6It is the LORD who says wise words. He helps us to understand the things that are too difficult for us. He helps us to know what we need to know.

7He helps good people to be wise. And he keeps honest people safe.

8He keeps people safe who are fair to other people. And he watches over those people who obey him.

9Listen to me. So you will know what is right. You will know what are true and fair words. You will know what you should do.

10You will become wise. And you will have pleasure in the things that you understand.

11Your good thoughts and the things that you understand will help you. They will be like someone who is watching over you to keep you safe.

12So you will not do the wrong thing. They will keep you from people who want to cause trouble.

13Those people are like people who leave the straight paths. They are like people who walk in dark ways.

14Those people enjoy doing the wrong things. They enjoy doing bad things for no good reason.

15Those people will not do the right thing. They always do very bad things.

16An adulteress may say nice things to you. But she will be trying to cause you to do the wrong thing. But, if you have listened to wise words, your mind will be strong. And so you will be safe from that woman.

17She leaves her own husband. And she forgets the promises that she said to God at the time of her marriage.

18If you go to her house, you will travel the road to death. Her paths will lead to where dead people are.

19Nobody who visits her will ever return. He will never return to the way to life.

20So you must do as good people do. And you must live a good life.

21People who are good will live in the country. Perfect people will stay in it.

22But God will remove the bad people from this country. He will pull sinners out like plants from the ground.