² making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;

¹² Apply your heart to instruction
    and your ear to words of knowledge.

18 Whoever ^(A)isolates himself seeks his own desire;
    he breaks out against all sound judgment.

^17 (A)Incline your ear, and hear ^(B)the words of the wise,
    ^(C)and apply your heart to my knowledge,
¹⁸ for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
    if all of them are ready on your lips.
¹⁹ That your trust may be in the Lord,
    I have made them known to you today, even to you.
²⁰ Have I not written for you ^(D)thirty sayings
    of counsel and knowledge,
²¹ to ^(E)make you know what is right and true,
    that you may give a true answer to those who sent you?

³ Incline your ear, and come to me;
    ^(A)hear, that your soul may live;
^(B)and I will make with you an everlasting covenant,
    ^(C)my steadfast, sure love for ^(D)David.

¹¹¹ Your testimonies are ^(A)my heritage forever,
    for they are ^(B)the joy of my heart.
¹¹² I ^(C)incline my heart to perform your statutes
    forever, ^(D)to the end.^[a]