CHAPTER 2
1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and hidest my behests with thee;
2 that thine ear hear wisdom, bow thine heart to know prudence.
3 For if thou inwardly callest wisdom, and bowest thine heart to prudence;
4 if thou seekest it as money, and diggest it out as treasures;
5 then thou shalt understand the dread of the Lord, and shalt find the knowing of God.
6 For the Lord giveth wisdom; and prudence and knowing is of his mouth.
7 He shall keep the health of rightful [or rightwise] men, and he shall defend them that go simply.
8 And he shall keep the paths of rightwiseness, and he shall keep the ways of holy men.
9 Then thou shalt understand rightfulness [or rightwiseness], and doom, and equity, and each good path.
10 If wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowing pleaseth thy soul,
11 good counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall keep thee;
12 that thou be delivered from an evil way, and from a man that speaketh wayward things.
13 Which forsake a rightful [or right] way, and go by dark ways;
14 which be glad, when they have done evil, and make full out joy in worst things;
15 whose ways be wayward, and their goings be of evil fame.
16 That thou be delivered from an alien woman, and from a strange woman, that maketh soft her words;
17 and forsaketh the duke of her time of marriage, and hath forgotten the covenant of her God.
18 For the house of her is bowed to death, and her paths to hell.
19 All that enter to her, shall not turn again, neither they shall catch the paths of life.
20 That thou go in a good way, and keep the paths of just [or rightwise] men.
21 Forsooth they that be rightful, shall dwell in the land; and simple men shall perfectly dwell therein.
22 But unfaithful men shall be lost from the land; and they that do wickedly, shall be taken away from it.