Proverbs 2

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,	1 My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands,
2 That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:	2 Turning your ear to wisdom, inclining your heart to understanding;
3 For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:	3 Yes, if you call to intelligence, and to understanding raise your voice;
4 If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:	4 If you seek her like silver, and like hidden treasures search her out:
5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.	5 Then will you understand the fear of the LORD; the knowledge of God you will find;
6 Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.	6 For the LORD gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity.	7 He has counsel in store for the upright, he is the shield of those who walk honestly,
8 Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.	8 Guarding the paths of justice, protecting the way of his pious ones.
9 Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.	9 Then you will understand rectitude and justice, honesty, every good path;
10 If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:	10 For wisdom will enter your heart, knowledge will please your soul,
11 Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,	11 Discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you;
12 That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:	12 Saving you from the way of evil men, from men of perverse speech,
13 Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:	13 Who leave the straight paths to walk in the way of darkness,
14 Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:	14 Who delight in doing evil, rejoice in perversity;
15 Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.	15 Whose ways are crooked, and devious their paths;
16 That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words:	16 Saving you from the wife of another, from the adulteress with her smooth words,
17 And forsaketh the guide of her youth,	17 Who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the pact with her God;
18 And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell.	18 For her path sinks down to death, and her footsteps lead to the shades;
19 None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life,	19 None who enter thereon come back again, or gain the paths of life.
20 That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.	20 Thus you may walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the just.
21 For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it.	21 For the upright will dwell in the land, the honest will remain in it;
22 But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.	22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land, the faithless will be rooted out of it.