Proverbs 2

1 My son, if you accept my words, and treasure my instructions ^{a2:1 Lit. instructions within you} —ISV — Proverbs 2:1

2 making your ear attentive to wisdom, and turning your heart to understanding—ISV — Proverbs 2:2

3 if, indeed, you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding,ISV — Proverbs 2:3

4 if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure,ISV — Proverbs 2:4

5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and learn to know God.ISV — Proverbs 2:5

6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.ISV — Proverbs 2:6

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright and is a shield to those who walk in integrity—ISV — Proverbs 2:7

8 guarding the paths of the just and protecting the way of his faithful ones.ISV — Proverbs 2:8

9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and upright—every good path.ISV — Proverbs 2:9

10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.ISV — Proverbs 2:10

11 Discretion ^{b2:11 Or Wise planning} will protect you; understanding will watch over you,ISV — Proverbs 2:11

12 delivering you from the way of evil, from men who speak perverse things,ISV — Proverbs 2:12

13 and from those who abandon the right ^{c2:13 Lit. straight or upright} path to travel along the ways of darkness;ISV — Proverbs 2:13

14 who delight in doing evil, and rejoice in the perverseness of evil;ISV — Proverbs 2:14

15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways,ISV — Proverbs 2:15

16 delivering you from the adulteress, from the immoral ^{d2:16 Lit. foreign; i.e. one whose values are foreign to God’s Law} woman with her seductive words,ISV — Proverbs 2:16

17 someone who abandoned the companion of her youth and forgot the covenant of her God.ISV — Proverbs 2:17

18 For her house leads down to death, and her paths down to the realm of the dead.ISV — Proverbs 2:18

19 None who go to her return, nor do they reach the paths of life.ISV — Proverbs 2:19

20 This is how you will walk in the way of good men and will keep to the paths of the righteous.ISV — Proverbs 2:20

21 For the upright will live in the land, and people of integrity will remain in it.ISV — Proverbs 2:21

22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.ISV — Proverbs 2:22