Chapter 2

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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