[1] My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
[2] if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,
[3] if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
[4] if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,
[5] then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
[6] For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
[7] He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,
[8] to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.
[9] Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.
[10] For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.
[11] Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,
[12] to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,
[13] from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,
[14] from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,
[15] whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.
[16] It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words
[17] who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.
[18] For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.
[19] None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.
[20] So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.
[21] For the upright will inhabit 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 uprooted.