Online Bible

The Pursuit of Wisdom Brings Security

My son, if you will ^areceive my wordsAnd ^btreasure my commandments within you,2 ^aMake your ear attentive to wisdom;Incline your heart to understanding.3 For if you cry out for insight,And ¹raise your voice for understanding;4 If you seek her as ^asilverAnd search for her as for ^bhidden treasures;5 Then you will understand the ^afear of the LORD,And discover the knowledge of God.6 For ^athe LORD gives wisdom;From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright;He is a ^ashield to those who walk in integrity,8 Guarding the paths of justice,And He ^awatches over the way of His godly ones.9 Then you will discern ^arighteousness, justice,And integrity, and every ^bgood path.10 For ^awisdom will enter your heart,And ^bknowledge will be delightful to your soul;11 Discretion will ^awatch over you,Understanding will guard you,12 To ^arescue you from the way of evil,From a person who speaks ^bperverse things;13 From those who ^aleave the paths of uprightnessTo walk in the ^bways of darkness;14 Who ^adelight in doing evilAnd rejoice in the perversity of evil;15 Whose paths are ^acrooked,And who are devious in their ways;16 To ^arescue you from the strange woman,From the ^bforeign woman who flatters with her words,17 Who leaves the ^acompanion of her youthAnd forgets the ^bcovenant of her God;18 For ^aher house sinks down to death,And her tracks lead to the ¹dead;19 None ^awho go to her return,Nor do they reach the ^bpaths of life.20 So you will ^awalk in the way of good peopleAnd keep to the ^bpaths of the righteous.21 For ^athe upright will live in the land,And ^bthe blameless will remain in it;22 But ^athe wicked will be eliminated from the land,And ^bthe treacherous will be ^ctorn away from it.