1 我儿， 如果你接受我的话， 把我的诫命珍藏在心里，

2 留心听智慧， 致力求聪明；

3 如果你为求哲理而呼喊， 为求聪明而扬声；

4 如果你寻找它如同寻找银子， 搜寻它好像搜寻宝藏；

5 你就明白怎样敬畏耶和华， 并且获得对 神的认识。

6 因为耶和华赐人智慧， 知识和聪明都出自他的口。

7 他为正直人珍藏大智慧， 给行为完全的人作盾牌；

8 为要看顾正直人的路径， 护卫虔诚人的道路。

9 这样， 你就明白公义、公正、正直， 以及一切善道。

10 智慧必进入你的心， 知识必使你欢悦。

11 明辨的能力必护卫你， 聪明必看顾你；

12 要救你脱离邪恶的道路， 脱离说话乖谬的人。

13 那些人离弃正道， 走上黑暗的道路。

14 他们喜欢行恶， 喜悦恶人的乖谬。

15 他们的道路弯曲， 他们的行径偏离正道。

16 智慧要救你脱离淫乱的妇人， 脱离说谄媚话的妓女（"妓女"原文作"外国女子"）。

17 她离弃年轻的配偶， 忘记了 神的约；

18 她的家陷入死地， 她的路径下落阴间。

19 凡是进到她那里去的， 都不能转回， 必得不着生路。

20 因此， 智慧必使你走在良善人的道上， 持守义人的路。

21 因为正直人必在地上安居， 完全人必在世上存留；

22 但恶人必从地上除灭， 行事奸诈的必从世上拔除。

1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words,

And lay up my commandments with thee;

2 So as to incline thine ear unto wisdom,

And apply thy heart to understanding;

3 Yea, if thou cry after discernment,

And lift up thy voice for understanding;

4 If thou seek her as silver,

And search for her as for hid treasures:

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah,

And find the knowledge of God.

6 For Jehovah giveth wisdom;

Out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding:

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright;

He is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

8 That he may guard the paths of justice,

And preserve the way of his saints.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and justice,

And equity, yea, every good path.

10 For wisdom shall enter into thy heart,

And knowledge shall be pleasant unto thy soul;

11 Discretion shall watch over thee;

Understanding shall keep thee:

12 To deliver thee from the way of evil,

From the men that speak perverse things;

13 Who forsake the paths of uprightness,

To walk in the ways of darkness;

14 Who rejoice to do evil,

And delight in the perverseness of evil;

15 Who are crooked in their ways,

And wayward in their paths:

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman,

Even from the foreigner that flattereth with her words;

17 That forsaketh the friend of her youth,

And forgetteth the covenant of her God:

18 For her house inclineth unto death,

And her paths unto the dead;

19 None that go unto her return again,

Neither do they attain unto the paths of life:

20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men,

And keep the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land,

And the perfect shall remain in it.

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land,

And the treacherous shall be rooted out of it.