My son, if you
heed my words,
And store my commands in your mind,
Pay close attention to wisdom,
And give careful heed to reason.
If you will but
seek her as silver,
And search for her as for hid treasures,
You shall then understand true religion,
And
gain a
knowledge of God.
For
wisdom shall enter your mind,
And knowledge shall be
pleasant to you,
Discretion shall watch over you,
And
understanding shall guard you,
To keep you from doing wrong,
From
men whose words are evil,
Who leave the
paths of right
To walk in ways that are dark,
Who
rejoice in doing wrong,
And take
pleasure in
evil deeds.
Happy the
man who finds wisdom,
And he who gains understanding.
In her right hand is long life,
In her left are riches and honor.
Her ways are pleasant ways,
And all her paths are peaceful.
She gives
life to those who seek her,
They are
happy who hold her fast.
You shall then go on your way securely,
And your foot shall never stumble.
When you sit down, you shall not be afraid,
When you lie down, your
sleep shall be sweet.