2:1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2:1 My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you,

2:2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, [and] apply thine heart to understanding;
2:2 So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding;

2:3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, [and] liftest up thy voice for understanding;
2:3 Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding,

2:4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as [for] hid treasures;
2:4 If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures;

2:5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
2:5 Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God.

2:6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth [cometh] knowledge and understanding.
2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;

2:7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: [he is] a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
2:7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;

2:8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
2:8 He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.

2:9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; [yea], every good path.
2:9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.

2:10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
2:10 When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,

2:11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
2:11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,

2:12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil [man], from the man that speaketh froward things;
2:12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,

2:13 Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
2:13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;

2:14 Who rejoice to do evil, [and] delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
2:14 Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

2:15 Whose ways [are] crooked, and [they] froward in their paths:
2:15 Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths;

2:16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, [even] from the stranger [which] flattereth with her words;
2:16 To deliver you from the immoral woman, From the seductress who flatters with her words,

2:17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
2:17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth, And forgets the covenant of her God.

2:18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
2:18 For her house leads down to death, And her paths to the dead;

2:19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
2:19 None who go to her return, Nor do they regain the paths of life--

2:20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good [men], and keep the paths of the righteous.
2:20 So you may walk in the way of goodness, And keep to the paths of righteousness.

2:21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
2:21 For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it;

2:22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
2:22 But the wicked will be cut off from the earth, And the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.