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My son, if you will receive my words
and store my commands inside you,
paying attention to wisdom
inclining your mind toward understanding —
yes, if you will call for insight
and raise your voice for discernment,
if you seek it as you would silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure —
then you will understand the fear of Adonai
and find knowledge of God.

For Adonai gives wisdom;
from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
He stores up common sense for the upright,
is a shield to those whose conduct is blameless,
in order to guard the courses of justice
and preserve the way of those faithful to him.
Then you will understand righteousness, justice,
fairness and every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
knowledge will be enjoyable for you,
11 discretion will watch over you,
and discernment will guard you.

12 They will save you from the way of evil
and from those who speak deceitfully,
13 who leave the paths of honesty
to walk the ways of darkness,
14 who delight in doing evil
and take joy in being stubbornly deceitful,
15 from those whose tracks are twisted
and whose paths are perverse.

16 They will save you from a woman who is a stranger,
from a loose woman with smooth talk,
17 who abandons the ruler she had in her youth
and forgets the covenant of her God.
18 Her house is sinking toward death,
her paths lead to the dead.
19 None who go to her return;
they never regain the path to life.
20 Thus you will walk on the way of good people
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,
the pure-hearted will remain there;
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,
the unfaithful rooted out of it.

My son, don’t forget my teaching,
keep my commands in your heart;
for they will add to you many days,
years of life and peace.

Do not let grace and truth leave you —
bind them around your neck;
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Then you will win favor and esteem
in the sight of God and of people.

Trust in Adonai with all your heart;
do not rely on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him;
then he will level your paths.

Don’t be conceited about your own wisdom;
but fear Adonai, and turn from evil.
This will bring health to your body
and give strength to your bones.

Honor Adonai with your wealth
and with the firstfruits of all your income.
10 Then your granaries will be filled
and your vats overflow with new wine.

11 My son, don’t despise Adonai’s discipline
or resent his reproof;
12 for Adonai corrects those he loves
like a father who delights in his son.

13 Happy the person who finds wisdom,
the person who acquires understanding;
14 for her profit exceeds that of silver,
gaining her is better than gold,
15 she is more precious than pearls —
nothing you want can compare with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand,
riches and honor in her left.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who grasp her;
whoever holds fast to her will be made happy.

19 Adonai by wisdom founded the earth,
by understanding he established the heavens,
20 by his knowledge the deep [springs] burst open
and the dew condenses from the sky.
21 My son, don’t let these slip from your sight;
preserve common sense and discretion;
22 they will be life for your being
and grace for your neck.
23 Then you will walk your way securely,
without hurting your foot.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

25 Don’t be afraid of sudden terror or destruction
caused by the wicked, when it comes;
26 for you can rely on Adonai;
he will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.

27 Don’t withhold good from someone entitled to it
when you have in hand the power to do it.
28 Don’t tell your neighbor, “Go away! Come another time;
I’ll give it to you tomorrow,” when you have it now.
29 Don’t plan harm against your neighbor
who lives beside you trustingly.
30 Don’t quarrel with someone for no reason,
if he has done you no harm.
31 Don’t envy a man of violence,
don’t choose any of his ways;
32 for the perverse is an abomination to Adonai,
but he shares his secret counsel with the upright.
33 Adonai’s curse is in the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34 The scornful he scorns,
but gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise win honor,
but fools win shame.

Listen, children, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention, in order to gain insight;
for I am giving you good advice;
so don’t abandon my teaching.
For I too was once a child to my father;
and my mother, too, thought of me as her special darling.
He too taught me; he said to me,
“Let your heart treasure my words;
keep my commands, and live;
gain wisdom, gain insight;
don’t forget or turn from the words I am saying.
Don’t abandon [wisdom]; then she will preserve you;
love her, and she will protect you.
The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom!
And along with all your getting, get insight!
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will bring you honor;
she will give your head a garland of grace,
bestow on you a crown of glory.”

10 Listen, my son, receive what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I’m directing you on the way of wisdom,
guiding you in paths of uprightness;
12 when you walk, your step won’t be hindered;
and if you run, you won’t stumble.
13 Hold fast to discipline, don’t let it go;
guard it, for it is your life.

14 Don’t follow the path of the wicked
or walk on the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, don’t go on it,
turn away from it, and pass on.
16 For they can’t sleep if they haven’t done evil,
they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
shining ever brighter until full daylight.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;
they don’t even know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying;
incline your ear to my words.
21 Don’t let them out of your sight,
keep them deep in your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to their whole being.

23 Above everything else, guard your heart;
for it is the source of life’s consequences.
24 Keep crooked speech out of your mouth,
banish deceit from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze on what lies in front of you.
26 Level the path for your feet,
let all your ways be properly prepared;
27 then deviate neither right nor left;
and keep your foot far from evil.

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