Wisdom and Bad Friends
1 My child, you must follow
and treasure my teachings
and my instructions.
2 Keep in tune with wisdom
and think what it means
to have common sense.
3 Beg as loud as you can
for good common sense.
4 Search for wisdom
as you would search for silver
or hidden treasure.
5 Then you will understand
what it means to respect
and to know the Lord God.
6 All wisdom comes from the Lord,
and so do common sense
and understanding.
7 God gives helpful advice
to everyone who obeys him
and protects those
who live as they should.
8 God sees that justice is done,
and he watches over everyone
who is faithful to him.
9 With wisdom you will learn
what is right
and honest and fair.
10 Wisdom will control your mind,
and you will be pleased
with knowledge.
11 Sound judgment and good sense
will watch over you.
12 Wisdom will protect you
from evil schemes
and from those liars
13 who turned from doing good
to live in the darkness.
14 Most of all they enjoy
being mean and deceitful.
15 They are dishonest themselves,
and so are all their deeds.
Wisdom and Sexual Purity
16 Wisdom will protect you
from the smooth talk
of a sinful woman,
17 who breaks her wedding vows
and leaves the man she married
when she was young.
18 The road to her house leads
down
to the dark world
of the dead.
19 Visit her, and you will never
find the road to life again.
20 Follow the example
of good people
and live an honest life.
21 If you are honest and innocent,
you will keep your land;
22 if you do wrong
and can never be trusted,
you will be rooted out.
1 My sonne, if thou wilt receiue my wordes, and hide my commandements within thee, 2 And cause thine eares to hearken vnto wisdome, and encline thine heart to vnderstanding, 3 (For if thou callest after knowledge, and cryest for vnderstanding: 4 If thou seekest her as siluer, and searchest for her as for treasures, 5 Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord giueth wisdome, out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstanding. 7 He preserueth the state of the righteous: he is a shielde to them that walke vprightly, 8 That they may keepe the wayes of iudgement: and he preserueth the way of his Saintes) 9 Then shalt thou vnderstand righteousnes, and iudgement, and equitie, and euery good path. 10 When wisdome entreth into thine heart, and knowledge deliteth thy soule, 11 Then shall counsell preserue thee, and vnderstanding shall keepe thee, 12 And deliuer thee from the euill way, and from the man that speaketh froward things, 13 And from them that leaue the wayes of righteousnes to walke in the wayes of darkenes: 14 Which reioyce in doing euill, and delite in the frowardnesse of the wicked, 15 Whose wayes are crooked and they are lewde in their paths. 16 And it shall deliuer thee from the strange woman, euen from the stranger, which flattereth with her wordes. 17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the couenant of her God. 18 Surely her house tendeth to death, and her paths vnto the dead. 19 All they that goe vnto her, returne not againe, neither take they holde of the wayes of life. 20 Therefore walke thou in the way of good men, and keepe the wayes of the righteous. 21 For the iust shall dwell in the land, and the vpright men shall remaine in it. 22 But the wicked shalbe cut off from ye earth, and the transgressours shalbe rooted out of it.