Proverbs 2

New International Reader's Version

Good Things Come From Wisdom

2 My son, accept my words.
    Store up my commands inside you.
²Let your ears listen to wisdom.
    Apply your heart to understanding.
³Call out for the ability to be wise.
    Cry out for understanding.
⁴Look for it as you would look for silver.
    Search for it as you would search for hidden treasure.
⁵Then you will understand how to have respect for the Lord.
    You will find out how to know God.
⁶The Lord gives wisdom.
    Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.
⁷He stores up success for honest people.
    He is like a shield to those who live without blame.
⁸He guards the path of those who are honest.
    He watches over the way of his faithful ones.

⁹You will understand what is right and honest and fair.
    You will understand the right way to live.
¹⁰Your heart will become wise.
    Your mind will delight in knowledge.
¹¹Good sense will keep you safe.
    Understanding will guard you.

¹²Wisdom will save you from the ways of evil men.
    It will save you from men who twist their words.
¹³Men like that have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways.
¹⁴They take delight in doing what is wrong.
    They take joy in twisting everything around.
¹⁵Their paths are crooked.
    Their ways are not straight.

¹⁶Wisdom will save you from a woman who commits adultery.
    It will save you from a sinful woman and her tempting words.
¹⁷She has left the man she married when she was young.
    She has broken the promise she made in front of God.
¹⁸Surely her house leads down to death.
    Her paths lead to the spirits of the dead.
¹⁹No one who goes to her comes back
    or reaches the paths of life.

²⁰You will walk in the ways of good people.
    You will follow the paths of those who do right.
²¹Honest people will live in the land.
    Those who are without blame will remain in it.
²²But sinners will be cut off from the land.
    Those who aren’t faithful will be torn away from it.