Chapter 2

  My son, if you will take my words to your heart, storing up my laws in your mind;  

  So that your ear gives attention to wisdom, and your heart is turned to knowledge;  

  Truly, if you are crying out for good sense, and your request is for knowledge;  

  If you are looking for her as for silver, and searching for her as for stored-up wealth;  

  Then the fear of the Lord will be clear to you, and knowledge of God will be yours.  

  For the Lord gives wisdom; out of his mouth come knowledge and reason:  

  He has salvation stored up for the upright, he is a breastplate to those in whom there is no evil;  

  He keeps watch on the ways which are right, and takes care of those who have the fear of him.  

  Then you will have knowledge of righteousness and right acting, and upright behaviour, even of every good way.  

  For wisdom will come into your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul;  

  Wise purposes will be watching over you, and knowledge will keep you;  

  Giving you salvation from the evil man, from those whose words are false;  

  Who give up the way of righteousness, to go by dark roads;  

  Who take pleasure in wrongdoing, and have joy in the evil designs of the sinner;  

  Whose ways are not straight, and whose footsteps are turned to evil:  

  To take you out of the power of the strange woman, who says smooth words with her tongue;  

  Who is false to the husband of her early years, and does not keep the agreement of her God in mind:  

  For her house is on the way down to death; her footsteps go down to the shades:  

  Those who go to her do not come back again; their feet do not keep in the ways of life:  

  So that you may go in the way of good men, and keep in the footsteps of the upright.  

  For the upright will be living in the land, and the good will have it for their heritage.  

  But sinners will be cut off from the land, and those whose acts are false will be uprooted.