Chapter 2
- 1
- 1 2 My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands,
- 2
- 3 Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding;
- 3
- Yes, if you call to intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice;
- 4
- If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out:
- 5
- Then will you understand the fear of the LORD; the knowledge of God you will find;
- 6
- For the LORD gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
- 7
- He has counsel in store for the upright, he is the shield of those who walk honestly,
- 8
- Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his pious ones.
- 9
- Then you will understand rectitude and justice, honesty, every good path;
- 10
- For wisdom will enter your heart, knowledge will please your soul,
- 11
- Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you;
- 12
- Saving you from the way of evil men, from men of perverse speech,
- 13
- Who leave the straight paths to walk in the way of darkness,
- 14
- Who delight in doing evil, rejoice in perversity;
- 15
- Whose ways are crooked, and devious their paths;
- 16
- Saving you from the wife of another, from the adulteress with her smooth words,
- 17
- Who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the pact with her God;
- 18
- For her path sinks down to death, and her footsteps lead to the shades;
- 19
- None who enter thereon come back again, or gain the paths of life.
- 20
- Thus you may walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the just.
- 21
- For the upright will dwell in the land, the honest will remain in it;
- 22
- But the wicked will be cut off from the land, the faithless will be rooted out of it.
Previous Chapter Next ChapterFootnotes
1 [Chapters 2-7] These chapters form an ordered discourse in seven "columns" of twenty-two verses each. Chapter 2 introduces the four topics about which the sage instructs his pupil: the service of God (Proverb 3:1-12, 25-34) the search for wisdom (Proverb 3:13-24, 35; 4:1-9), the avoidance of evil companions among men (Proverb 4:10-27; 5:21-23), and among women (5:1-20; 6:20-7:27). The last topic is treated at a length equal to the first three because the discourse is meant especially for youths (cf Proverb 1:4).
2 [1-22] The search for wisdom (Proverb 2:1-4) leads to the protection of God (Proverb 2:5-8) and of wisdom herself (Proverb 2:9-11; cf Proverb 1:20-33) and to deliverance from evil men (Proverb 2:12-15) and evil women (Proverb 2:16-19), and so to lasting happiness (Proverb 2:20-22).
3 [2-3] Wisdom, understanding, intelligence: various names or aspects of the same gift.
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