¹ My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; refs

² So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; refs

³ Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; refs

⁴ If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; refs

⁵ Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. refs

⁶ For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. refs

⁷ He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly. refs

⁸ He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints. refs

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

¹⁰ When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul; refs

¹¹ Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee: refs

¹² To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; refs

¹³ Who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness; refs

¹⁴ Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked; refs

¹⁵ Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths: refs

¹⁶ To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; refs

¹⁷ Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. refs

¹⁸ For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. refs

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

²⁰ That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. refs

²¹ For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. refs

²² But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it. refs