Proverbs

1My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,

2That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:

3For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:

4If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:

5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.

6Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.

7He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity.

8Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.

9Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.

10If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:

11Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,

12That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:

13Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:

14Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:

15Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.

16That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words:

17And forsaketh the guide of her youth,

18And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell.

19None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life,

20That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.

21For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it.

22But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.

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.