Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son,(A) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding(B)
indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.(E)
For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield(H) to those whose walk is blameless,(I)
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.(J)

Then you will understand(K) what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(L)
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.(M)

12 Wisdom will save(N) you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,(O)
14 who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,(P)
15 whose paths are crooked(Q)
    and who are devious in their ways.(R)

16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,(S)
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a](T)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.(U)
19 None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.(V)

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,(W)
    and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked(X) will be cut off from the land,(Y)
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God

智慧明哲均耶和华所赐

我儿,你若领受我的言语,存记我的命令, 侧耳听智慧,专心求聪明, 呼求明哲,扬声求聪明, 寻找她如寻找银子,搜求她如搜求隐藏的珍宝, 你就明白敬畏耶和华,得以认识神。 因为耶和华赐人智慧,知识和聪明都由他口而出。 他给正直人存留真智慧,给行为纯正的人做盾牌, 为要保守公平人的路,护庇虔敬人的道。 你也必明白仁义、公平、正直,一切的善道。 10 智慧必入你心,你的灵要以知识为美。 11 谋略必护卫你,聪明必保守你, 12 要救你脱离恶道[a],脱离说乖谬话的人。 13 那等人舍弃正直的路,行走黑暗的道, 14 欢喜作恶,喜爱恶人的乖僻。 15 在他们的道中弯曲,在他们的路上偏僻。 16 智慧要救你脱离淫妇,就是那油嘴滑舌的外女。 17 他离弃幼年的配偶,忘了神的盟约。 18 他的家陷入死地,他的路偏向阴间。 19 凡到他那里去的不得转回,也得不着生命的路。 20 智慧必使你行善人的道,守义人的路。 21 正直人必在世上居住,完全人必在地上存留。 22 唯有恶人必然剪除,奸诈的必然拔出。

Footnotes

  1. 箴言 2:12 “恶道”或作“恶人的道”。