King James New American Standard Bible
  • 1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;
  • 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;
  • 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;
  • 4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;
  • 5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.
  • 6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
  • 7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
  • 8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.
  • 9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.
  • 10 When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul;
  • 11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:
  • 12 To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;
  • 13 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 the wicked;
  • 15 Whose ways are crooked, and they froward in their paths:
  • 16 To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words;
  • 17 Which 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 take they hold of 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 earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
  • 1 My son, if you will receive my words And treasure my commandments within you,
  • 2 Make your ear attentive to wisdom, Incline your heart to understanding;
  • 3 For if you cry for discernment, Lift your voice for understanding;
  • 4 If you seek her as silver And search for her as for hidden treasures;
  • 5 Then you will discern the fear of the LORD And discover the knowledge of God.
  • 6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
  • 7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
  • 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones.
  • 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course.
  • 10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul;
  • 11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you,
  • 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;
  • 13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;
  • 14 Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
  • 15 Whose paths are crooked, And who are devious in their ways;
  • 16 To deliver you from the strange woman, From the adulteress who flatters with her words;
  • 17 That leaves the companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God;
  • 18 For her house sinks down to death And her tracks lead to the dead;
  • 19 None who go to her return again, Nor do they reach the paths of life.
  • 20 So you will walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous.
  • 21 For the upright will live in the land And the blameless will remain in it;
  • 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land And the treacherous will be uprooted from it.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission.