智慧的益處

孩子啊,
    你若接受我的教誨,
    珍愛我的誡命,
側耳聆聽智慧,
    傾心渴慕悟性;
你若呼求洞見,
    竭力追求悟性,
尋它如尋銀子,
    找它如找寶藏,
你就會懂得敬畏耶和華,
    認識上帝。
因為耶和華賜人智慧,
    知識和悟性出自祂的口。
祂使正直人充滿智慧,
    是行為純全者的盾牌。
祂看守正義之路,
    護衛虔誠人的道。
這樣,你就明白何為仁義、
    公平和正直,
    懂得一切美善之道。
10 因為智慧必進入你心,
    知識必令你的靈歡快。
11 明辨力必護佑你,
    悟性必看顧你。
12 智慧必救你遠離惡道,
    脫離言語荒謬的人。
13 他們捨棄正道,走上黑路,
14 以行惡為樂,喜愛惡人的邪僻;
15 他們的道路歪邪,行徑扭曲。

16 智慧要救你脫離淫婦,
    脫離花言巧語的妓女。
17 她撇棄了年輕時的丈夫,
    忘了在上帝面前立的約。
18 她的家通向死亡,
    她的路直達陰間。
19 到她那裡的人都有去無回,
    找不到生命之道。
20 所以你要行善人的路,
    守義人的道。
21 因為在地上,
    正直人必安居,
    純全無過的人必長存,
22 惡人必遭滅絕,
    奸徒必被剷除。

智慧使人认识 神

我儿,如果你接受我的话,

把我的诫命珍藏在心里,

留心听智慧,

致力求聪明;

如果你为求哲理而呼喊,

为求聪明而扬声;

如果你寻找它如同寻找银子,

搜寻它好象搜寻宝藏;

你就明白怎样敬畏耶和华,

并且获得对 神的认识。

因为耶和华赐人智慧,

知识和聪明都出自他的口。

他为正直人珍藏大智慧,

给行为完全的人作盾牌;

为要看顾正直人的路径,

护卫虔诚人的道路。

这样,你就明白公义、公正、正直,

以及一切善道。

智慧使人行走义路

10 智慧必进入你的心,

知识必使你欢悦。

11 明辨的能力必护卫你,

聪明必看顾你;

12 要救你脱离邪恶的道路,

脱离说话乖谬的人。

13 那些人离弃正道,

走上黑暗的道路。

14 他们喜欢行恶,

喜悦恶人的乖谬。

15 他们的道路弯曲,

他们的行径偏离正道。

16 智慧要救你脱离淫妇,

脱离说谄媚话的妓女。

17 她离弃年轻时的配偶,

忘记了 神的约;

18 她的家陷入死地,

她的路径下落阴间。

19 凡是进到她那里去的,都不能转回,

必得不着生路。

20 因此,智慧必使你走在良善人的道上,

持守义人的路。

21 因为正直人必在地上安居,

完全人必在世上存留;

22 但恶人必从地上除灭,

行事奸诈的必从世上拔除。

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.

Footnotes

  1. 2.7 helpful advice: Or “wisdom.”