Proverbs 2
Christian Standard Bible
Wisdom’s Worth
2 My son, if you accept my words(A)
and store up my commands within you,
2 listening closely[a] 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,(B)
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(C)
7 He stores up success[b] for the upright;
He is a shield for those who live with integrity(D)
8 so that he may guard the paths of justice
and protect the way of his faithful followers.(E)
9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
and integrity—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will delight you.
11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you.(F)
12 It will rescue you from the way of evil—
from anyone who says perverse things,
13 from those who abandon the right paths
to walk in ways of darkness,(G)
14 from those who enjoy doing evil(H)
and celebrate perversion,
15 whose paths are crooked,(I)
and whose ways are devious.(J)
16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman,(K)
from a wayward woman with her flattering talk,(L)
17 who abandons the companion of her youth(M)
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.(N)
19 None return who go to her;
none reach the paths of life.(O)
20 So follow the way of the good,(P)
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those of integrity will remain in it;(Q)
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,(R)
and the treacherous ripped out of it.(S)
Proverbs 2
Common English Bible
Benefits of wisdom
2 My son, accept my words
and store up my commands.
2 Turn your ear toward wisdom,
and stretch your mind toward understanding.
3 Call out for insight,
and cry aloud for understanding.
4 Seek it like silver;
search for it like hidden treasure.
5 Then you will understand the fear of the Lord,
and discover the knowledge of God.
6 The Lord gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He reserves ability for those with integrity.
He is a shield for those who live a blameless life.
8 He protects the paths of justice
and guards the way of those who are loyal to him.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
as well as integrity, every good course.
10 Wisdom will enter your mind,
and knowledge will fill you with delight.
11 Discretion will guard you;
understanding will protect you.
12 Wisdom will rescue you from the evil path,
from people who twist their words.
13 They forsake the way of integrity
and go on obscure paths.
14 They enjoy doing evil,
rejoicing in their twisted evil.
15 Their paths are confused;
they get lost on their way.
16 Wisdom will rescue you from the mysterious woman,
from the foreign woman with her slick words.
17 She leaves behind the partner of her youth;
she even forgets her covenant with God.
18 Her house sinks down to death,
and her paths go down to the shadowy dead.
19 All those who go to her will never return;
they will never again reach the ways of the living.
20 So you should stay on the path of good people,
guarding the road of the righteous.
21 Those who have integrity will dwell in the land;
the innocent will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be ripped up.
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