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Wisdom and Bad Friends

My child, you must follow
and treasure my teachings
    and my instructions.
Keep in tune with wisdom
and think what it means
    to have common sense.
Beg as loud as you can
    for good common sense.
Search for wisdom
as you would search for silver
    or hidden treasure.
Then you will understand
what it means to respect
    and to know the Lord God.

(A) All wisdom comes from the Lord,
and so do common sense
    and understanding.
God gives helpful advice[a]
    to everyone who obeys him
and protects those
    who live as they should.
God sees that justice is done,
and he watches over everyone
    who is faithful to him.
With wisdom you will learn
what is right
    and honest and fair.

10 Wisdom will control your mind,
and you will be pleased
    with knowledge.
11 Sound judgment and good sense
    will watch over you.
12 Wisdom will protect you
    from evil schemes
and from those liars
13 who turned from doing good
    to live in the darkness.
14 Most of all they enjoy
    being mean and deceitful.
15 They are dishonest themselves,
    and so are all their deeds.

Wisdom and Sexual Purity

16 Wisdom will protect you
from the smooth talk
    of a sinful woman,
17 who breaks her wedding vows
and leaves the man she married
    when she was young.
18 The road to her house leads
down
    to the dark world
    of the dead.
19 Visit her, and you will never
    find the road to life again.

20 Follow the example
of good people
    and live an honest life.
21 If you are honest and innocent,
    you will keep your land;
22 if you do wrong
and can never be trusted,
    you will be rooted out.

Trust God

My child, remember
my teachings and instructions
    and obey them completely.
They will help you live
    a long and prosperous life.
Let love and loyalty
always show like a necklace,
    and write them in your mind.
(B) God and people will like you
    and hold you in high esteem.

With all your heart
you must trust the Lord
    and not your own judgment.
Always let him lead you,
and he will clear the road
    for you to follow.
(C) Don't ever think that you
    are wise enough,
but respect the Lord
    and stay away from evil.
This will make you healthy,
    and you will feel strong.
Honor the Lord by giving him
your money and the first part
    of all your crops.
10 Then you will have
more grain and grapes
    than you will ever need.

11 (D)(E) My child, don't turn away
or become bitter
    when the Lord corrects you.
12 (F) The Lord corrects
    everyone he loves,
just as parents correct
    a child they dearly love.

The Value of Wisdom

13 God blesses everyone
who has wisdom
    and common sense.
14 Wisdom is worth more
    than silver;
it makes you much richer
    than gold.
15 Wisdom is more valuable
    than precious jewels;
nothing you want
    compares with her.

16 In her right hand
    Wisdom holds a long life,
and in her left hand
    are wealth and honor.
17 Wisdom makes life pleasant
    and leads us safely along.
18 Wisdom is a life-giving tree,
the source of happiness
    for all who hold on to her.

19 By his wisdom and knowledge
the Lord created
    heaven and earth.
20 By his understanding
he let the ocean break loose
    and clouds release the rain.
21 My child, use common sense
and sound judgment!
    Always keep them in mind.
22 They will help you to live
    a long and beautiful life.
23 You will walk safely
    and never stumble;
24 you will rest without a worry
    and sleep soundly.
25 So don't be afraid
    of sudden disasters
or storms that strike
    those who are evil.
26 You can be sure that the Lord
    will protect you from harm.

27 (G) Do all you can for everyone
    who deserves your help.
28 Don't tell your neighbor
to come back tomorrow,
    if you can help today.
29 Don't try to be mean
    to neighbors who trust you.
30 Don't argue just to be arguing,
    when you haven't been hurt.
31 Don't be jealous
of cruel people
    or follow their example.

32 The Lord doesn't like
    anyone who is dishonest,
but he lets good people
    be his friends.
33 He places a curse on the home
    of everyone who is evil,
but he blesses the home
    of every good person.
34 (H) The Lord sneers at those
    who sneer at him,
but he is kind to everyone
    who is humble.
35 You will be praised
    if you are wise,
but you will be disgraced
    if you are a stubborn fool.

Advice to Young People

My child, listen closely
to my teachings
    and learn common sense.
My advice is useful,
    so don't turn away.
When I was still very young
and my mother's favorite child,
my father     said to me:
“If you follow my teachings
and keep them in mind,
    you will live.
Be wise and learn good sense;
remember my teachings
    and do what I say.

“If you love Wisdom
and don't reject her,
    she will watch over you.
The best thing about Wisdom
    is Wisdom herself;
good sense is more important
    than anything else.
If you value Wisdom
and hold tightly to her,
    great honors will be yours.
It will be like wearing
a glorious crown
    of beautiful flowers.”

The Right Way and the Wrong Way

10 My child, if you listen
and obey my teachings,
    you will live a long time.
11 I have shown you the way
    that makes sense;
I have guided you
    along the right path.
12 Your road won't be blocked,
and you won't stumble
    when you run.
13 Hold firmly to my teaching
and never let go.
    It will mean life for you.
14 Don't follow the bad example
    of cruel and evil people.
15 Turn aside and keep going.
    Stay away from them.
16 They can't sleep or rest
until they do wrong or harm
    some innocent victim.
17 Their food and drink
    are cruelty and wickedness.

18 The lifestyle of good people
    is like sunlight at dawn
that keeps getting brighter
    until broad daylight.
19 The lifestyle of the wicked
    is like total darkness,
and they will never know
    what makes them stumble.

20 My child, listen carefully
    to everything I say.
21 Don't forget a single word,
    but think about it all.
22 Knowing these teachings
will mean true life
    and good health for you.
23 Carefully guard your thoughts
because they are the source
    of true life.
24 Never tell lies or be deceitful
    in what you say.
25 Keep looking straight ahead,
    without turning aside.
26 (I) Know where you are headed,
and you will stay
    on solid ground.
27 Don't make a mistake by turning
    to the right or the left.

Footnotes

  1. 2.7 helpful advice: Or “wisdom.”

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