My son, if you will receive my words
And treasure my commandments within you,

Yes, if you cry out for insight,
And lift up your voice for understanding;

If you seek skillful and godly wisdom as you would silver
And search for her as you would hidden treasures;

Then you will understand the [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome]
And discover the knowledge of God.

For [skillful and godly] wisdom will enter your heart
And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

He stores away sound wisdom for the righteous [those who are in right standing with Him];
He is a shield to those who walk in integrity [those of honorable character and moral courage],

Then you will understand righteousness and justice [in every circumstance]
And integrity and every good path.

He guards the paths of justice;
And He preserves the way of His saints (believers).

Discretion will watch over you,
Understanding and discernment will guard you,

To keep you from the way of evil and the evil man,
From the man who speaks perverse things;

Whose paths are crooked,
And who are devious in their ways;

To keep you from the immoral woman;
From the seductress with her flattering words,

For the upright [those who are in right standing with God] will live in the land
And those [of integrity] who are blameless [in God’s sight] will remain in it;

For her house leads down to death
And her paths lead to the dead;

From those who leave the paths of uprightness
To walk in the ways of darkness;

Who find joy in doing evil
And delight in the perversity of evil,

Who leaves the companion (husband) of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.

So that your ear is attentive to [skillful and godly] wisdom,
And apply your heart to understanding [seeking it conscientiously and striving for it eagerly];

But the wicked will be cut off from the land
And the treacherous shall be [forcibly] uprooted and removed from it.

None who go to her return again,
Nor do they regain the paths of life—

So you will walk in the way of good men [that is, those of personal integrity, moral courage and honorable character],
And keep to the paths of the righteous.

For the Lord gives [skillful and godly] wisdom;
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.