Mishlei - PROVERBS   2

1    My son, if you will receive my words
      and store my commands inside you,
2    paying attention to wisdom
      inclining your mind toward understanding —
3    yes, if you will call for insight
      and raise your voice for discernment,
4    if you seek it as you would silver
      and search for it as for hidden treasure —
5    then you will understand the fear of ADONAI
      and find knowledge of God.
6    For ADONAI gives wisdom;
      from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
7    He stores up common sense for the upright,
      is a shield to those whose conduct is blameless,
8    in order to guard the courses of justice
      and preserve the way of those faithful to him.
9    Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
      fairness and every good path.
10  For wisdom will enter your heart,
      knowledge will be enjoyable for you,
11  discretion will watch over you,
      and discernment will guard you.

12  They will save you from the way of evil
      and from those who speak deceitfully,
13  who leave the paths of honesty
      to walk the ways of darkness,
14  who delight in doing evil
      and take joy in being stubbornly deceitful,
15  from those whose tracks are twisted
      and whose paths are perverse.

16  They will save you from a woman who is a stranger,
      from a loose woman with smooth talk,
17  who abandons the ruler she had in her youth
      and forgets the covenant of her God.
18  Her house is sinking toward death,
      her paths lead to the dead.
19  None who go to her return;
      they never regain the path to life.
20  Thus you will walk on the way of good people
      and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21  For the upright will live in the land,
      the pure-hearted will remain there;
22  but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
      the unfaithful rooted out of it.