Proverbs 2

CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 My son, if you would accept my words, and conceal my commandments within you,	1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,
2 so that your ears may listen to wisdom, then bend your heart in order to know prudence.	2 That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:
3 For if you would call upon wisdom and bend your heart to prudence,	3 For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:
4 if you will seek her like money, and dig for her as if for treasure,	4 If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will discover the knowledge of God.	5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.
6 For the Lord bestows wisdom, and out of his mouth, prudence and knowledge.	6 Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.
7 He will preserve the salvation of the righteous, and he will protect those who walk in simplicity:	7 He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity.
8 serving the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of sanctity.	8 Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.
9 Then you shall understand justice and judgment, and equity, and every good path.	9 Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.
10 If wisdom is to enter into your heart, and if knowledge is to become pleasing to your soul,	10 If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:
11 then counsel must guard you, and prudence must serve you,	11 Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,
12 so that you may be rescued from the evil way, and from the man who speaks perversities,	12 That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:
13 from those who leave the straight path to walk in dark ways,	13 Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:
14 who rejoice when they have done evil, and who exult in the most wicked things.	14 Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:
15 Their ways are perverse, and their steps are infamous.	15 Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.
16 So may you be rescued from the foreign woman, and from the outsider, who softens her speech,	16 That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words:
17 and who leaves behind the Guide of her youth,	17 And forsaketh the guide of her youth,
18 and who has forgotten the covenant of her God. For her household inclines toward death, and her paths toward Hell.	18 And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell.
19 All those who enter to her will not return again, nor will they take hold of the paths of life.	19 None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life,
20 So may you walk in the good way, and keep to the difficult paths of the just.	20 That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.
21 For those who are upright shall live upon the earth, and the simple shall continue upon it.	21 For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it.
22 Yet truly, the impious shall perish from the earth, and those who act unjustly shall be taken away from it.	22 But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.