Verse 1. My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and wilt hide my commandments with thee,
Verse 2. That thy ear may hearken to wisdom: Incline thy heart to know prudence:
Verse 3. For if thou shalt call for wisdom, and incline thy heart to prudence:
Verse 4. If thou shalt seek her as money, and shalt dig for her as for a treasure:
Verse 5. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and shalt find the knowledge of God.
Verse 6. Because the Lord giveth wisdom: and out of his mouth cometh prudence and knowledge.
Verse 7. He will keep the salvation of the righteous, and protect them that walk in simplicity.
Verse 8. Keeping the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of saints.
Verse 9. Then shalt thou understand justice, and judgment, and equity, and every good path.
Verse 10. If wisdom shall enter into thy heart, and knowledge please thy soul:
Verse 11. Counsel shall keep thee, and prudence shall preserve thee,
Verse 12. That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:
Verse 13. Who leave the right way, and walk by dark ways:
Verse 14. Who are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in most wicked things:
Verse 15. Whose ways are perverse, and their steps infamous.
Verse 16. That thou mayst be delivered from the strange women, and from the stranger, who softeneth her words:
Verse 17. And forsaketh the guide of her youth,
Verse 18. And hath forgotten the covenant of her God: for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths to hell.
Verse 19. None that go in unto her shall return again, neither shall they take hold of the paths of life,
Verse 20. That thou mayst walk in a good way: and mayst keep the paths of the just.
Verse 21. For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it.
Verse 22. But the wicked shall be destroyed from the earth: and they that do unjustly shall be taken away from it.