1. My son, if you accept my words And treasure up my commandments;
2. If you make your ear attentive to wisdom And your mind open to discernment;
3. If you call to understanding And cry aloud to discernment,
4. If you seek it as you do silver And search for it as for treasures,
5. Then you will understand the fear of the LORD And attain knowledge of God.
6. For the LORD grants wisdom; Knowledge and discernment are by His decree.
7. He reserves ability for the upright And is a shield for those who live blamelessly,
8. Guarding the paths of justice, Protecting the way of those loyal to Him.
9. You will then understand what is right, just, And equitable -- every good course.
10. For wisdom will enter your mind And knowledge will delight you.
11. Foresight will protect you, And discernment will guard you.
12. It will save you from the way of evil men, From men who speak duplicity,
13. Who leave the paths of rectitude To follow the ways of darkness,
14. Who rejoice in doing evil And exult in the duplicity of evil men,
15. Men whose paths are crooked And who are devious in their course.
16. It will save you from the forbidden woman, From the alien woman whose talk is smooth,
17. Who forsakes the companion of her youth And disregards the covenant of her God.
18. Her house sinks down to Death, And her course leads to the shades.
19. All who go to her cannot return And find again the paths of life.
20. So follow the way of the good And keep to the paths of the just.
21. For the upright will inhabit the earth, The blameless will remain in it.
22. While the wicked will vanish from the land And the treacherous will be rooted out of it.
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