2 ^(A)My son, ^(B)if you receive my words
    and treasure up my commandments with you,
² making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding;
³ yes, if you call out for insight
    and raise your voice ^(C)for understanding,
⁴ if you seek it like ^(D)silver
    and search for it as for ^(E)hidden treasures,
⁵ then ^(F)you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.
⁶ For ^(G)the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
⁷ he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is ^(H)a shield to those who ^(I)walk in integrity,
⁸ guarding the paths of justice
    and ^(J)watching over the way of his ^(K)saints.
^9 (L)Then you will understand ^(M)righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path;
¹⁰ for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
^11 (N)discretion will ^(O)watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
¹² delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
¹³ who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to ^(P)walk in the ways of darkness,
¹⁴ who ^(Q)rejoice in doing evil
    and ^(R)delight in the perverseness of evil,
¹⁵ men whose ^(S)paths are crooked,
    ^(T)and who are ^(U)devious in their ways.

^13 (A)Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
    and the one who gets understanding,
^14 (B)for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
    and her profit better than ^(C)gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than ^(D)jewels,
    and ^(E)nothing you desire can compare with her.
^16 (F)Long life is in her right hand;
    in her left hand are ^(G)riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ^(H)ways are ways of pleasantness,
    and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is ^(I)a tree of life to those who ^(J)lay hold of her;
    those who hold her fast are called blessed.