Pro 2 | HCSB | STEP | My son , if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,

Proverbs 2

Wisdom’s Worth

1 My son, if you accept my words ^a
and store up my commands within you,
2 listening closely ^{▼▼Lit you, stretching out your ear} to wisdom
and 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 Lord
and 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