The Benefits of Wisdom 1 CPDV My son, if you would accept my words, and conceal my commandments within you, BSB BSB: My son, if you accept my words and hide my commandments within you,
2 CPDV so that your ears may listen to wisdom, then bend your heart in order to know prudence. BSB BSB: if you incline your ear to wisdom and direct your heart to understanding,
3 CPDV For if you would call upon wisdom and bend your heart to prudence, BSB BSB: if you truly call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding,
4 CPDV if you will seek her like money, and dig for her as if for treasure, BSB BSB: if you seek it like silver and search it out like hidden treasure,
5 CPDV then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will discover the knowledge of God. BSB BSB: then you will discern the fear of the LORD and discover the knowledge of God.
6 CPDV For the Lord bestows wisdom, and out of his mouth, prudence and knowledge. BSB BSB: For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 CPDV He will preserve the salvation of the righteous, and he will protect those who walk in simplicity: BSB BSB: He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk with integrity,
8 CPDV serving the paths of justice, and guarding the ways of sanctity. BSB BSB: to guard the paths of justice and protect the way of His saints.
9 CPDV Then you shall understand justice and judgment, and equity, and every good path. BSB BSB: Then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity—every good path.
10 CPDV If wisdom is to enter into your heart, and if knowledge is to become pleasing to your soul, BSB BSB: For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will delight your soul.
11 CPDV then counsel must guard you, and prudence must serve you, BSB BSB: Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you,
12 CPDV so that you may be rescued from the evil way, and from the man who speaks perversities, BSB BSB: to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,
13 CPDV from those who leave the straight path to walk in dark ways, BSB BSB: from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,
14 CPDV who rejoice when they have done evil, and who exult in the most wicked things. BSB BSB: from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,
15 CPDV Their ways are perverse, and their steps are infamous. BSB BSB: whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.
16 CPDV So may you be rescued from the foreign woman, and from the outsider, who softens her speech, BSB BSB: It will rescue you from the forbidden woman, from the stranger with seductive words
17 CPDV and who leaves behind the Guide of her youth, BSB BSB: who abandons the partner of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God.
18 CPDV and who has forgotten the covenant of her God. For her household inclines toward death, and her paths toward Hell. BSB BSB: For her house sinks down to death, and her tracks to the departed spirits.
19 CPDV All those who enter to her will not return again, nor will they take hold of the paths of life. BSB BSB: None who go to her return or negotiate the paths of life.
20 CPDV So may you walk in the good way, and keep to the difficult paths of the just. BSB BSB: So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 CPDV For those who are upright shall live upon the earth, and the simple shall continue upon it. BSB BSB: For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it;
22 CPDV Yet truly, the impious shall perish from the earth, and those who act unjustly shall be taken away from it. BSB BSB: but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.