Proverbs 2

1. My son, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you,

2. So that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding;

3. Yea, if you cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding;

4. If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures,

5. Then you shall understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

6. For the LORD gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

7. He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.

8. He keeps the paths of right judgment and preserves the way of His saints.

9. Then you shall understand righteousness and judgment and equity, every good path.

10. Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;

11. Discretion shall preserve you and, understanding shall keep you,

12. To deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man who speaks wicked things,

13. Those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,

14. Who rejoice to do evil and delight in the perversities of the wicked,

15. Whose ways are crooked, and are devious in their paths;

16. To deliver you from the wanton woman, even from the stranger who flatters with her words,

17. Who forsakes the guide of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God,

18. For her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the dead.

19. None that go unto her return again, nor do they take hold of the paths of life—

20. In order that you may walk in the way of good and keep the paths of the righteous.

21. For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

22. But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.