1 My son, if thou receivest my words, and layest up my commandments with thee,

2 so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom {and} thou apply thy heart to understanding;

3 yea, if thou criest after discernment {and} liftest up thy voice to understanding;

4 if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden 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 {come} knowledge and understanding.

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the upright; {he} is a shield to them that walk in integrity;

8 guarding the paths of just judgment and keeping the way of his godly ones.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity: every good path.

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

11 discretion shall keep thee, understanding shall preserve thee:

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

13 {from those} who leave the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

14 who rejoice to do evil, {and} delight in the frowardness of evil;

15 whose paths are crooked, and who are perverted in their course:

16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, from the stranger who flattereth with her words;

17 who forsaketh the guide 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 to the paths of life:

20 -that thou mayest walk in the way of the good, 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 unfaithful shall be plucked up out of it.

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。