NET Bible

Benefits of Seeking Wisdom1

^2:1 My child, if you receive my words, and store up my commands inside yourself, ^2:2 by making your ear attentive to wisdom and by turning your heart to understanding, ^2:3 indeed, if you call out for discernment — shout loudly for understanding— ^2:4 if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, ^2:5 then you will understand how to fear the Lord, and you will discover knowledge about God. ^2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. ^2:7 He stores up effective counsel for the upright and is like a shield for those who live with integrity, ^2:8 to guard the paths of the righteous and to protect the way of his pious ones. ^2:9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity—every good way. ^2:10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you. ^2:11 Discretion will protect you; understanding will guard you ^2:12 to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity, ^2:13 who leave the upright paths to walk on the dark ways, ^2:14 who delight in doing evil; they rejoice in perverse evil, ^2:15 whose paths are morally crooked and who are devious in their ways, ^2:16 to deliver you from the adulterous woman, from the loose woman who has flattered you with her words, ^2:17 who leaves the husband from her younger days and has ignored her marriage covenant made before God. ^2:18 For she has set her house by death and her paths by the place of the departed spirits. ^2:19 None who go in to her will return, nor will they reach the paths of life. ^2:20 So you will walk in the way of good people and will keep on the paths of the righteous. ^2:21 For the upright will reside in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it, ^2:22 but the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be torn away from it.