2:1 My child, ²  if ³  you receive my words,

and store up ⁴  my commands within you,

2:2 by making ⁵  your ear ⁶  attentive to wisdom,

and ⁷  by turning ⁸  your heart ⁹  to understanding,

2:3 indeed, if ¹⁰  you call out for ¹¹  discernment ¹²  –

raise your voice ¹³  for understanding –

2:4 if ¹⁴  you seek ¹⁵  it like silver, ¹⁶ 

and search for it ¹⁷  like hidden treasure,

2:5 then you will understand ¹⁸  how to fear the Lord, ¹⁹ 

and you will discover ²⁰  knowledge ²¹  about God. ²² 

2:6 For ²³  the Lord gives ²⁴  wisdom,

and from his mouth ²⁵  comes ²⁶  knowledge and understanding.

2:7 He stores up ²⁷  effective counsel ²⁸  for the upright, ²⁹ 

and is like ³⁰  a shield ³¹  for those who live ³²  with integrity, ³³ 

2:8 to guard ³⁴  the paths of the righteous ³⁵ 

and to protect ³⁶  the way of his pious ones. ³⁷ 

2:9 Then you will understand ³⁸  righteousness and justice

and equity – every ³⁹  good ⁴⁰  way. ⁴¹ 

2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, ⁴² 

and moral knowledge ⁴³  will be attractive ⁴⁴  to you. ⁴⁵ 

2:11 Discretion ⁴⁶  will protect you, ⁴⁷ 

understanding will guard you,

2:12 to deliver ⁴⁸  you from the way of the wicked, ⁴⁹ 

from those ⁵⁰  speaking perversity, ⁵¹ 

2:13 who leave ⁵²  the upright ⁵³  paths

to walk on the dark ⁵⁴  ways,

2:14 who delight ⁵⁵  in doing ⁵⁶  evil, ⁵⁷ 

they rejoice in perverse evil; ⁵⁸ 

2:15 whose paths ⁵⁹  are morally crooked, ⁶⁰ 

and who are devious ⁶¹  in their ways;

2:16 to deliver you ⁶²  from the adulteress, ⁶³ 

from the sexually loose woman ⁶⁴  who speaks flattering ⁶⁵  words; ⁶⁶ 

2:17 who leaves ⁶⁷  the husband ⁶⁸  from her younger days, ⁶⁹ 

and forgets her marriage covenant ⁷⁰  made before God. ⁷¹ 

2:18 For her house ⁷²  sinks ⁷³  down to death,

and her paths lead ⁷⁴  to the place of the departed spirits. ⁷⁵ 

2:19 None who go in to her will return, ⁷⁶ 

nor will they reach the paths of life. ⁷⁷ 

2:20 So ⁷⁸  you will walk in the way of good people, ⁷⁹ 

and will keep on the paths of the righteous. ⁸⁰ 

2:21 For the upright will reside in the land,

and those with integrity ⁸¹  will remain in it,

2:22 but the wicked ⁸²  will be removed ⁸³  from the land,

and the treacherous ⁸⁴  will be torn away ⁸⁵  from it.