Proverbs 2
Wisdom’s Worth
1 My son, if you accept my words aand store up my commands within you,
2 listening closely ▼
▼Lit you, stretching out your ear
to wisdomand directing your heart to understanding;
3 furthermore, if you call out to insight
and lift your voice to understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search for it like hidden treasure, c
5 then you will understand the ▼
▼fear(s) God or the Lord/ the fear of the Lord: No single English word conveys every aspect of the word fear in this phrase. The meaning includes worshipful submission, reverential awe, and obedient respect to the covenant-keeping God of Israel.
fear of the Lordand discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. e
7 He stores up success ▼
▼Or resourcefulness
for the upright;He is a shield for those who live with integrity g
8 so that He may guard the paths of justice
and protect the way of His loyal followers. h
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
and integrity – every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your mind,
and knowledge will delight your heart.
11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you, i
12 rescuing you from the way of evil –
from the one who says perverse things,
13 from those who abandon the right paths
to walk in ways of darkness, j
14 from those who enjoy doing evil k
and celebrate perversion,
15 whose paths are crooked, l
and whose ways are devious. m
16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman, n
from a stranger ▼
▼Or foreign woman
with her flattering talk, p 17 who abandons the companion of her youth q
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death
and her ways to the land of the departed spirits. r
19 None return who go to her;
none reach the paths of life. s
20 So follow the way of good people, t
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those of integrity will remain in it; u
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land, v
and the treacherous uprooted from it. w
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