Proverbs

The Proverbs, chapter 2, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 2 New English Translation

   Benefits of Seeking Wisdom
   1 My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands within you,
   2 by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding,
   3 indeed, if you call out for discernment - raise your voice for understanding -
   4 if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure,
   5 then you will understand how to fear the LORD, and you will discover knowledge about God.
   6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
   7 He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity,
   8 to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones.
   9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity - every good way.
   10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.
   11 Discretion will protect you, understanding will guard you,
   12 to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity,
   13 who leave the upright paths to walk on the dark ways,
   14 who delight in doing evil, they rejoice in perverse evil;
   15 whose paths are morally crooked, and who are devious in their ways;
   16 to deliver you from the adulteress, from the sexually loose woman who speaks flattering words;
   17 who leaves the husband from her younger days, and forgets her marriage covenant made before God.
   18 For her house sinks down to death, and her paths lead to the place of the departed spirits.
   19 None who go in to her will return, nor will they reach the paths of life.
   20 So you will walk in the way of good people, and will keep on the paths of the righteous.
   21 For the upright will reside in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,
   22 but the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be torn away from it.

King James Version

   1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
   2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
   3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
   4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
   5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
   6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
   7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
   8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
   9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
   10 ¶ When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
   11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
   12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
   13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
   14 Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
   15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
   16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
   17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
   18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
   19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
   20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
   21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
   22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.