My son , if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you ,
if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding ,
if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding ,
if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure ,
then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom ; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He stores up sound wisdom for the upright ; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity ,
to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.
Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity — every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart , and knowledge will delight your soul.
Discretion will watch over you , ... and understanding will guard you ,
to deliver you from the way of evil , from the man who speaks perversity ,
from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness ,
from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil ,
whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.
It will rescue you from the forbidden woman , from the stranger with seductive words
who abandons the partner of her youth - and forgets the covenant of her God.
For her house sinks down to death , and her tracks to the departed spirits.
None who go to her ... return (or) negotiate the paths of life.
So you will follow in the ways of the good , and keep to the paths of the righteous.
For the upright will inhabit the land , and the blameless will remain
but the wicked will be cut off from the land , and the unfaithful {will} be uprooted.