Proverbs 2:1-15

New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition

2 My child, if you accept my words
    and treasure up my commandments within you,^(A)
2 making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding,
³ if you indeed cry out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
⁴ if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures—^(B)
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.^(C)
6 For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;^(D)
7 he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,^(E)
8 guarding the paths of justice
    and preserving the way of his faithful ones.^(F)
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path,^(G)
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
¹¹ prudence will watch over you,
    and understanding will guard you.
¹² It will save you from the way of evil,
    from those who speak perversely,
¹³ who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,^(H)
14 who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,^(I)
15 those whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.^(J)