[1] My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands inside yourself, [2] by making your ear attentive to wisdom, and by turning your heart to understanding, [3] indeed, if you call out for discernment-shout loudly for understanding- [4] if you seek it like silver, and search for it like hidden treasure, [5] then you will understand how to fear the LORD, and you will discover knowledge about God. [6] For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. [7] He stores up effective counsel for the upright, and is like a shield for those who live with integrity, [8] to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones. [9] Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity-every good way. [10] For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you. [11] Discretion will protect you, understanding will guard you, [12] to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity, [13] who leave the upright paths to walk on the dark ways, [14] who delight in doing evil, they rejoice in perverse evil; [15] whose paths are morally crooked, and who are devious in their ways; [16] to deliver you from the adulterous woman, from the loose woman who has flattered you with her words; [17] who leaves the husband from her younger days, and has ignored her marriage covenant made before God. [18] For she has set her house by death, and her paths by the place of the departed spirits. [19] None who go in to her will return, nor will they reach the paths of life. [20] So you will walk in the way of good people, and will keep on the paths of the righteous. [21] For the upright will reside in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, [22] but the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be torn away from it.
