2:1
My child, if you take my words to heart, if you set store by my commandments,
2:2
tuning your ear to wisdom, tuning your heart to understanding,
2:3
yes, if your plea is for clear perception, if you cry out for understanding,
2:4
if you look for it as though for silver, search for it as though for buried treasure,
2:5
then you will understand what the fear of Yahweh is, and discover the knowledge of God.
2:6
For Yahweh himself is giver of wisdom, from his mouth issue knowledge and understanding.
2:7
He reserves his advice for the honest, a shield to those whose ways are sound;
2:8
he stands guard over the paths of equity, he keeps watch over the way of those faithful to him.
2:9
Then you will understand uprightness, equity and fair dealing, the paths that lead to happiness.
2:10
When wisdom comes into your heart and knowledge fills your soul with delight,
2:11
then prudence will be there to watch over you, and understanding will be your guardian
2:12
to keep you from the way that is evil, from those whose speech is deceitful,
2:13
from those who leave the paths of honesty to walk the roads of darkness:
2:14
those who find their joy in doing wrong, and their delight in deceitfulness,
2:15
whose tracks are twisted, and the paths that they tread crooked.
2:16
To keep you, too, from the woman who belongs to another, from the stranger, with her wheedling words;
2:17
she has left the partner of her younger days, she has forgotten the covenant of her God;
2:18
her house is tilting towards Death, down to the Shades go her paths.
2:19
Of those who go to her not one returns, they never regain the paths of life.
2:20
Thus you will tread the way of good people, persisting in the paths of the upright.
2:21
For the land will be for the honest to live in, the innocent will have it for their home;
2:22
while the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the faithless rooted out of it.
Previous
Next