Wisdom and Bad Friends
1My child, you must follow
and treasure my teachings
and my instructions.
2Keep in tune with wisdom
and think what it means
to have common sense.
3Beg as loud as you can
for good common sense.
4Search for wisdom
as you would search for silver
or hidden treasure.
5Then you will understand
what it means to respect
and to know the Lord God.
6 All wisdom comes from the Lord,
and so do common sense
and understanding.
7God gives helpful advice
to everyone who obeys him
and protects those
who live as they should.
8God sees that justice is done,
and he watches over everyone
who is faithful to him.
9With wisdom you will learn
what is right
and honest and fair.
10Wisdom will control your mind,
and you will be pleased
with knowledge.
11Sound judgment and good sense
will watch over you.
12Wisdom will protect you
from evil schemes
and from those liars
13who turned from doing good
to live in the darkness.
14Most of all they enjoy
being mean and deceitful.
15They are dishonest themselves,
and so are all their deeds.
Wisdom and Sexual Purity
16Wisdom will protect you
from the smooth talk
of a sinful woman,
17who breaks her wedding vows
and leaves the man she married
when she was young.
18The road to her house leads
down
to the dark world
of the dead.
19Visit her, and you will never
find the road to life again.
20Follow the example
of good people
and live an honest life.
21If you are honest and innocent,
you will keep your land;
22if you do wrong
and can never be trusted,
you will be rooted out.