箴言2:1-22

2:1 我兒，你若領受我的言語，存記我的命令，
2:2 側耳聽智慧，專心求聰明，
2:3 呼求明哲，揚聲求聰明，
2:4 尋找它，如尋找銀子，搜求它，如搜求隱藏的珍寶，
2:5 你就明白敬畏耶和華，得以認識上帝。
2:6 因為，耶和華賜人智慧；知識和聰明都由他口而出。
2:7 他給正直人存留真智慧，給行為純正的人作盾牌，
2:8 為要保守公平人的路，護庇虔敬人的道。
2:9 你也必明白仁義、公平、正直、一切的善道。
2:10 智慧必入你心；你的靈要以知識為美。
2:11 謀略必護衛你；聰明必保守你，
2:12 要救你脫離惡道（或譯：惡人的道），脫離說乖謬話的人。
2:13 那等人捨棄正直的路，行走黑暗的道，
2:14 歡喜作惡，喜愛惡人的乖僻，
2:15 在他們的道中彎曲，在他們的路上偏僻。
2:16 智慧要救你脫離淫婦，就是那油嘴滑舌的外女。
2:17 她離棄幼年的配偶，忘了上帝的盟約。
2:18 她的家陷入死地；她的路偏向陰間。
2:19 凡到她那裡去的，不得轉回，也得不著生命的路。
2:20 智慧必使你行善人的道，守義人的路。
2:21 正直人必在世上居住；完全人必在地上存留。
2:22 惟有惡人必然翦除；奸詐的，必然拔出。

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
⁷ He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
⁸ for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.

⁹ Then you will understand what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
¹⁰ For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
¹¹ Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.

¹² Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
¹³ who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,
¹⁴ who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵ whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.

¹⁶ Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
¹⁷ who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.^[a]
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
¹⁹ None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.

²⁰ Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
²¹ For the upright will live in the land,
    and the blameless will remain in it;
²² but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.

************

     《箴言》強調「智慧」的功能就是保護尋求它的人。而智慧是上帝賜給人最好的禮物，使人靠著智慧可以認識上帝，可以行上帝所喜悅的事，可以避免犯罪而遭受上帝的懲罰，使人得著真正的平安。

    我們要感謝上帝，透過《箴言》的作者史我們明白「智慧」的功能，讓我們有動力來尋求「智慧」，使我們真正享受由智慧帶來的好處。而這一切的動力，是來自聖靈在基督耶穌裡的啟示。

    也因此，我們要好好倚靠聖靈，在基督裡追求聖潔，保守自己常在上帝的憐憫之中，直到領受上帝所賜的永生！正如猶大書20-21節所說：「親愛的弟兄啊，你們卻要在至聖的真道上造就自己，在聖靈裡禱告，保守自己常在上帝的愛中，仰望我們主耶穌基督的憐憫，直到永生。」