Proverbs 2

Wisdom’s Worth

¹My son, if you accept my words ^a

and store up my commands within you,

²listening closely ^b to wisdom

and directing your heart to understanding;

³furthermore, if you call out to insight

and lift your voice to understanding,

⁴if you seek it like silver

and search for it like hidden treasure, ^c

⁵then you will understand the fear of the Lord

and discover the knowledge of God.

⁶For the Lord gives wisdom;

from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. ^d

⁷He stores up success ^e for the upright;

He is a shield for those who live with integrity ^f

⁸so that he may guard the paths of justice

and protect the way of his faithful followers. ^g

⁹Then you will understand righteousness, justice,

and integrity #— #every good path.

¹⁰For wisdom will enter your heart,

and knowledge will delight you.

¹¹Discretion will watch over you,

and understanding will guard you. ^h

¹²It will rescue you from the way of evil —

from anyone who says perverse things,

¹³from those who abandon the right paths

to walk in ways of darkness, ⁱ

¹⁴from those who enjoy doing evil ^j

and celebrate perversion,

¹⁵whose paths are crooked, ^k

and whose ways are devious. ^l

¹⁶It will rescue you from a forbidden woman, ^m

from a wayward woman with her flattering talk, ⁿ

¹⁷who abandons the companion of her youth ^o

and forgets the covenant of her God;

¹⁸for her house sinks down to death

and her ways to the land of the departed spirits. ^p

¹⁹None return who go to her;

none reach the paths of life. ^q

²⁰So follow the way of the good, ^r

and keep to the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright will inhabit the land,

and those of integrity will remain in it; ^s

²²but the wicked will be cut off from the land, ^t

and the treacherous ripped out of it. ^u