Proverbs, 2

1. My child, if you take my words to heart, if you set store by my commandments,

2. tuning your ear to wisdom, tuning your heart to understanding,

3. yes, if your plea is for clear perception, if you cry out for understanding,

4. if you look for it as though for silver, search for it as though for buried treasure,

5. then you will understand what the fear of Yahweh is, and discover the knowledge of God.

6. For Yahweh himself is giver of wisdom, from his mouth issue knowledge and understanding.

7. He reserves his advice for the honest, a shield to those whose ways are sound;

8. he stands guard over the paths of equity, he keeps watch over the way of those faithful to him.

9. Then you will understand uprightness, equity and fair dealing, the paths that lead to happiness.

10. When wisdom comes into your heart and knowledge fills your soul with delight,

11. then prudence will be there to watch over you, and understanding will be your guardian

12. to keep you from the way that is evil, from those whose speech is deceitful,

13. from those who leave the paths of honesty to walk the roads of darkness:

14. those who find their joy in doing wrong, and their delight in deceitfulness,

15. whose tracks are twisted, and the paths that they tread crooked.

16. To keep you, too, from the woman who belongs to another, from the stranger, with her wheedling words;

17. she has left the partner of her younger days, she has forgotten the covenant of her God;

18. her house is tilting towards Death, down to the Shades go her paths.

19. Of those who go to her not one returns, they never regain the paths of life.

20. Thus you will tread the way of good people, persisting in the paths of the upright.

21. For the land will be for the honest to live in, the innocent will have it for their home;

22. while the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the faithless rooted out of it.