Proverbs 2
What Happens in This Chapter
A father tells his son to look for wisdom the way people look for silver or hidden treasure. If he does, God will give him wisdom, and God will keep him safe. This wisdom will guard him from people who do wrong and speak in twisted ways. The chapter ends by saying good people will stay in the land, but people who do wrong will be taken away.
Plain reading written for kids. Short sentences, everyday words, one idea at a time.
My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
1My son, listen to my words. Hold on to what I tell you to do.
2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
2Turn your ear toward wisdom. Point your heart toward understanding.
3Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
3Call out loud for good sense. Raise your voice and ask for understanding.
4If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
4Look for wisdom the way you look for silver. Hunt for it like buried treasure.
5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
5Then you will know what it means to honor the LORD. You will come to know God.
6For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
6The LORD is the one who gives wisdom. Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.
7He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
7He saves up good wisdom for people who do right. He is like a shield for people who live honestly.
8He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
8He guards the paths where people are treated fairly. He watches over the way his faithful people walk.
9Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
9Then you will know what is right, what is fair, and what is honest. You will know every good path.
10When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
10Wisdom will come into your heart. Knowing things will make you glad.
11Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
11Careful thinking will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
12To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
12It will save you from the path of people who do wrong. It will save you from those who twist their words.
"Froward" in the old English means twisted or crooked, not "forward." It is talking about people who bend the truth.
13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
13Those people leave the straight path. They walk in dark ways instead.
14Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
14They are happy when they do wrong. They enjoy the twisted things bad people do.
15Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
15Their paths are crooked. They wander off wherever they please.
16To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
16Wisdom will also save you from a woman who is not your wife. She uses sweet words to pull you in.
The old wording says "strange woman." It does not mean a stranger you have not met. It means a woman a man is not supposed to be with.
17Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
17She has walked away from the husband she married when she was young. She has forgotten the promise she made before God.
18For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
18Her house slopes down toward death. Her paths lead to those who have died.
"Her house inclineth unto death" means her house tips or slopes downward, like a hill going down. The picture is of a road sliding down toward death.
19None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
19Nobody who goes to her comes back. They never find the paths that lead to life.
20That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
20So walk in the ways of good people. Stay on the paths of people who do right.
21For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
21People who live honestly will stay in the land. Those who do no wrong will remain there.
22But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
22But people who do wrong will be cut off from the land. Those who break their promises will be pulled up like weeds.
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