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My son, if thou wilt receive my words,
and hide my commandments with thee;
so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom,
and apply thine heart to understanding;
yea, if thou criest after knowledge,
and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
if thou seekest her as silver,
and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord,
and find the knowledge of God.
For the Lord giveth wisdom:
out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous:
he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
He keepeth the paths of judgment,
and preserveth the way of his saints.
Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity;
yea, every good path.
10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart,
and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
11 discretion shall preserve thee,
understanding shall keep thee:
12 to deliver thee from the way of the evil man,
from the man that speaketh froward things;
13 who leave the paths of uprightness,
to walk in the ways of darkness;
14 who rejoice to do evil,
and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
15 whose ways are crooked,
and they froward in their paths:
16 to deliver thee from the strange woman,
even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
17 which forsaketh the guide of her youth,
and forgetteth the covenant of her God.
18 For her house inclineth unto death,
and her paths unto the dead.
19 None that go unto her return again,
neither take they hold of the paths of life.
20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men,
and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright shall dwell in the land,
and the perfect shall remain in it.
22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth,
and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

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My son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments within thee,

so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding;

yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasure,

then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

For the Lord giveth wisdom; out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints.

Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity, yea, every good path.

10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,

11 discretion shall preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee,

12 to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from men that speaketh froward things,

13 who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,

14 who rejoice to do evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked,

15 whose ways are crooked and who are froward in their paths.

16 Wisdom will deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger, who flattereth with her words,

17 who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;

18 for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

20 Thus thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;

22 but the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

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Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son,(A) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding(B)
indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.(E)
For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield(H) to those whose walk is blameless,(I)
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.(J)

Then you will understand(K) what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(L)
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.(M)

12 Wisdom will save(N) you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,(O)
14 who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,(P)
15 whose paths are crooked(Q)
    and who are devious in their ways.(R)

16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,(S)
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a](T)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.(U)
19 None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.(V)

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,(W)
    and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked(X) will be cut off from the land,(Y)
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.(Z)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God

13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver,
and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies:
and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand;
and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her:
and happy is every one that retaineth her.

19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth;
by understanding hath he established the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up,
and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not them depart from thine eyes:
keep sound wisdom and discretion:
22 so shall they be life unto thy soul,
and grace to thy neck.
23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely,
and thy foot shall not stumble.
24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid:
yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

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13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding;

14 for the merchandising of it is better than the merchandising of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is everyone that retaineth her.

19 The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens;

20 by His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let not these depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion;

22 so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace around thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble;

24 when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

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13 Blessed are those who find wisdom,
    those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver
    and yields better returns than gold.(A)
15 She is more precious than rubies;(B)
    nothing you desire can compare with her.(C)
16 Long life is in her right hand;(D)
    in her left hand are riches and honor.(E)
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peace.(F)
18 She is a tree of life(G) to those who take hold of her;
    those who hold her fast will be blessed.(H)

19 By wisdom(I) the Lord laid the earth’s foundations,(J)
    by understanding he set the heavens(K) in place;
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided,
    and the clouds let drop the dew.

21 My son,(L) do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight,(M)
    preserve sound judgment and discretion;
22 they will be life for you,(N)
    an ornament to grace your neck.(O)
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,(P)
    and your foot will not stumble.(Q)
24 When you lie down,(R) you will not be afraid;(S)
    when you lie down, your sleep(T) will be sweet.

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