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

² so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to intelligence,

³ yea, if thou criest for understanding and givest thy voice unto intelligence,

⁴ if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures,

⁵ then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

⁶ For the LORD gives wisdom; out of his mouth comes knowledge and intelligence.

⁷ He keeps the person of the upright; he is a buckler to those that walk perfectly,

⁸ keeping the paths of judgment and the way of his merciful ones.

⁹ Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity, yea, every good path.

¹⁰ ¶ When wisdom enters into thine heart and knowledge is sweet unto thy soul,

¹¹ discretion shall preserve thee, intelligence shall keep thee

¹² to deliver thee from the evil way, from the man that speaks perversion,

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

¹⁴ who rejoice to do evil and delight in wicked perversion,

¹⁵ whose ways are crooked, and they are crooked in their paths;

¹⁶ to deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger who flatters with her words,

¹⁷ who forsakes the prince of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

¹⁸ Therefore her house inclines unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

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

²⁰ That thou may 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.

¹³ ¶ Blessed is the man that has found wisdom and who brings to light intelligence,

¹⁴ for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the fruits thereof more than fine gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than precious stones, 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 those that lay hold upon her, and blessed is every one that retains her.

¹⁹ The LORD by wisdom has founded the earth; by intelligence has he established the heavens.

²⁰ By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the heavens drop down the dew.

²¹ ¶ My son, do not let 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.