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He lays up sound wisdom for the upright.
    He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
that he may guard the paths of justice,
    and preserve the way of his saints.
Then you will understand righteousness and justice,
    equity and every good path.
10 For wisdom will enter into your heart.
    Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will watch over you.
    Understanding will keep you,
12 to deliver you from the way of evil,
    from the men who speak perverse things,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness,
    to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who rejoice to do evil,
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 who are crooked in their ways,
    and wayward in their paths,
16 to deliver you from the strange woman,
    even from the foreigner who flatters with her words,
17 who forsakes the friend of her youth,
    and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house leads down to death,
    her paths to the departed spirits.
19 None who go to her return again,
    neither do they attain to the paths of life.
20 So you may walk in the way of good men,
    and keep the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will dwell in the land.
    The perfect will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land.
    The treacherous will be rooted out of it.

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he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,(A)
guarding the paths of justice
    and preserving the way of his faithful ones.(B)
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path,(C)
10 for wisdom will come into your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
11 prudence will watch over you,
    and understanding will guard you.
12 It will save you from the way of evil,
    from those who speak perversely,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,(D)
14 who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,(E)
15 those whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.(F)

16 You will be saved from the loose woman,[a]
    from the adulteress[b] with her smooth words,(G)
17 who forsakes the partner of her youth
    and forgets her sacred covenant,
18 for her way[c] leads down to death
    and her paths to the shades;(H)
19 those who go to her never come back,
    nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 Therefore walk in the way of the good,
    and keep to the paths of the just.
21 For the upright will abide in the land,
    and the innocent will remain in it,(I)
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
    and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.(J)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.16 Heb strange woman
  2. 2.16 Heb alien woman
  3. 2.18 Cn: Heb house

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,
    and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them continually on your heart.
    Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, it will lead you.
    When you sleep, it will watch over you.
    When you awake, it will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
    and the law is light.
    Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,
24 to keep you from the immoral woman,
    from the flattery of the wayward wife’s tongue.

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20 My child, keep your father’s commandment,
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(A)
21 Bind them upon your heart always;
    tie them around your neck.(B)
22 When you walk, they[a] will lead you;
    when you lie down, they[b] will watch over you;
    and when you awake, they[c] will talk with you.(C)
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
    and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,(D)
24 to preserve you from the wife of another,[d]
    from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.[e](E)

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Footnotes

  1. 6.22 Heb it
  2. 6.22 Heb it
  3. 6.22 Heb it
  4. 6.24 Gk: MT the evil woman
  5. 6.24 Heb alien woman

My son, keep my words.
    Lay up my commandments within you.
Keep my commandments and live!
    Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers.
    Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Tell wisdom, “You are my sister.”
    Call understanding your relative,
that they may keep you from the strange woman,
    from the foreigner who flatters with her words.

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The False Attractions of Adultery

My child, keep my words
    and store up my commandments with you;(A)
keep my commandments and live;
    keep my teachings as the apple[a] of your eye;(B)
bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.(C)
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and call insight your intimate friend,
that they may keep you from the loose woman,[b]
    from the adulteress[c] with her smooth words.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 7.2 Heb little man
  2. 7.5 Heb strange woman
  3. 7.5 Heb alien woman

19 In the multitude of words there is no lack of disobedience,
    but he who restrains his lips does wisely.

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19 When words are many, transgression is not lacking,
    but the prudent are restrained in speech.(A)

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The fool’s talk brings a rod to his back,
    but the lips of the wise protect them.

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The talk of fools is a rod for their backs,[a]
    but the lips of the wise preserve them.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 14.3 Cn: Heb a rod of pride

10 Yahweh’s name is a strong tower:
    the righteous run to him, and are safe.

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10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
    the righteous run into it and are safe.(A)

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23 Whoever guards his mouth and his tongue
    keeps his soul from troubles.

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23 To watch over mouth and tongue
    is to keep out of trouble.(A)

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Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked:
    whoever guards his soul stays from them.

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Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse;
    the cautious will keep far from them.(A)

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24 Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man,
    and don’t associate with one who harbors anger:
25 lest you learn his ways,
    and ensnare your soul.

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24 Make no friends with those given to anger,
    and do not associate with hotheads,
25 lest you learn their ways
    and entangle yourself in a snare.

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