The Benefits of Wisdom
1My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
3Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
4If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
5Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
6For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
8He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
9Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
10When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
12To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
16To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.
19None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.
20That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.
22But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
The Benefits of Wisdom
1 My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;
2 So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;
3 Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;
4 If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:
5 then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.
6 For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
7 He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;
8 that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,
12 to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;
15 who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:
16 To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;
17 who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God:
18 for her house leads down to death, her paths to the dead.
19 None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:
20 that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.
The Benefits of Wisdom
1 My son, if you accept my words
and hide my commandments within you,
2 if you incline your ear to wisdom
and direct your heart to understanding,
3 if you truly call out to insight
and lift your voice to understanding,
4 if you seek it like silver
and search it out like hidden treasure,
5 then you will discern the fear of the LORD
and discover the knowledge of God.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom;
from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,
8 to guard the paths of justice
and protect the way of His saints.
9 Then you will discern righteousness
and justice and equity—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will delight your soul.
11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you,
12 to deliver you from the way of evil,
from the man who speaks perversity,
13 from those who leave the straight paths
to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 from those who enjoy doing evil
and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and whose ways are devious.
16 It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, a
from the stranger b with seductive words
17 who abandons the partner of her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God.
18 For her house sinks down to death,
and her tracks to the departed spirits. c
19 None who go to her return
or negotiate the paths of life.
20 So you will follow in the ways of the good,
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the unfaithful will be uprooted.
Footnotes:
16 a Or wayward wife
16 b Or adulteress
18 c Hebrew to the Rephaim
The Benefits of Wisdom
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!
