2:1  My son, if you will receive my words and treasure up my commandments within you,

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

2:3  Yea, if you cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding;

2:4  If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures,

2:5  Then you shall understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

2:6  For the LORD gives wisdom; out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

2:7  He lays up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly.

2:8  He keeps the paths of right judgment and preserves the way of His saints.

2:9  Then you shall understand righteousness and judgment and equity, every good path.

2:10  Wisdom shall enter into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;

2:11  Discretion shall preserve you and, understanding shall keep you,

2:12  To deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man who speaks wicked things,

2:13  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 perversities of the wicked,

2:15  Whose ways are crooked, and are devious in their paths;

2:16  To deliver you from the wanton woman, even from the stranger who flatters with her words,

2:17  Who forsakes the guide of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God,

2:18  For her house sinks down to death, and her paths to the dead.

2:19  None that go unto her return again, nor do they take hold of the paths of life—

2:20  In order that you may walk in the way of good and keep the paths of the righteous.

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

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