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| 1My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and
hide my commandments with thee; 2So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom,
and apply thine heart to understanding; 3Yea, if thou criest after knowledge,
and liftest up thy voice for understanding; 4If thou seekest her
as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; 5Then shalt thou
understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. 6For the
LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
7He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that
walk uprightly. 8He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way
of his saints. 9Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment,
and equity; yea, every good path.
10When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; 11Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: 12To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; 13Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; 14Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; 15Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: 16To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; 17Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. 18For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. 19None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life. 20That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. 21For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. 22But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
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My child, listen to me and treasure my instructions.
2 Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. 3 Cry out
for insight and understanding. 4 Search for them as you would for lost
money or hidden treasure. 5 Then you will understand what it means to fear
the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord grants wisdom!
From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He grants a treasure
of good sense to the godly. He is their shield, protecting those who walk
with integrity. 8 He guards the paths of justice and protects those who
are faithful to him.
9 Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will know how to find the right course of action every time. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. 11 Wise planning will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe. 12 Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose speech is corrupt. 13 These people turn from right ways to walk down dark and evil paths. 14 They rejoice in doing wrong, and they enjoy evil as it turns things upside down. 15 What they do is crooked, and their ways are wrong. 16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the flattery of the adulterous woman. 17 She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God. 18 Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to hell. 19 The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life. 20 Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous. 21 For only the upright will live in the land, and those who have integrity will remain in it. 22 But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be destroyed. Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996. |