Proverbs

The Benefits of Wisdom

1My son, if you accept my wordsand hide my commandments within you,

2if you incline your ear to wisdomand direct your heart to understanding,

3if you truly call out to insightand lift your voice to understanding,

4if you seek it like silverand search it out like hidden treasure,

5then you will discern the fear of the LORDand discover the knowledge of God.

6For the LORD gives wisdom;from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,

8to guard the paths of justiceand protect the way of His saints.

9Then you will discern righteousnessand justice and equity—every good path.

10For wisdom will enter your heart,and knowledge will delight your soul.

11Discretion will watch over you,and understanding will guard you,

12to deliver you from the way of evil,from the man who speaks perversity,

13from those who leave the straight pathsto walk in the ways of darkness,

14from those who enjoy doing eviland rejoice in the twistedness of evil,

15whose paths are crookedand whose ways are devious.

16It will rescue you from the forbidden woman,from the strangerwith seductive words

17who abandons the partner of her youthand forgets the covenant of her God.

18For her house sinks down to death,and her tracks to the departed spirits.

19None who go to her returnor negotiate the paths of life.

20So you will follow in the ways of the good,and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright will inhabit the land,and the blameless will remain in it;

22but the wicked will be cut off from the land,and the unfaithful will be uprooted.

1My son, if thou dost accept my sayings, And my commands dost lay up with thee,

2To cause thine ear to attend to wisdom, Thou inclinest thy heart to understanding,

3For, if for intelligence thou callest, For understanding givest forth thy voice,

4If thou dost seek her as silver, And as hid treasures searchest for her,

5Then understandest thou fear of Jehovah, And knowledge of God thou findest.

6For Jehovah giveth wisdom, From His mouth knowledge and understanding.

7Even to lay up for the upright substance, A shield for those walking uprightly.

8To keep the paths of judgment, And the way of His saints He preserveth.

9Then understandest thou righteousness, And judgment, and uprightness — every good path.

10For wisdom cometh into thy heart, And knowledge to thy soul is pleasant,

11Thoughtfulness doth watch over thee, Understanding doth keep thee,

12To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things,

13Who are forsaking paths of uprightness, To walk in ways of darkness,

14Who are rejoicing to do evil, They delight in frowardness of the wicked,

15Whose paths [are] crooked, Yea, they are perverted in their ways.

16To deliver thee from the strange woman, From the stranger who hath made smooth her sayings,

17Who is forsaking the guide of her youth, And the covenant of her God hath forgotten.

18For her house hath inclined unto death, And unto Rephaim her paths.

19None going in unto her turn back, Nor do they reach the paths of life.

20That thou dost go in the way of the good, And the paths of the righteous dost keep.

21For the upright do inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,

22And the wicked from the earth are cut off, And treacherous dealers plucked out of it!