The Benefits of Wisdom

1My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,

2if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,

3if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,

4if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,

5then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.

6For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

7He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,

8to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.

9Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.

10For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.

11Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,

12to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,

13from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,

14from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,

15whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.

16It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, ³from the stranger ⁴with seductive words

17who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.

18For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits. ⁵

19None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.

20So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

21For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.