1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

<>son, <>receive my words, <>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;

<>vv. 3-5

4 If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

<>vv. 3-5

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

<>vv. 3-5

6 For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

<>the LORD giveth wisdom

7 He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous: he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

<>uprightly

8 He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of his saints.

<>preserveth the way of his saints, <>saints

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and judgment, and equity; yea, every good path.

<>equity

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

<>When wisdom entereth into thine heart

11 Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall keep thee:

<>vv. 11-12

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

<>vv. 11-12, <>To deliver thee, <>froward

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:

<>Whose ways are crooked

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

<>vv. 16-17, <>strange woman, <>the stranger, <>flattereth with her words, <>flattereth

17 Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God.

<>vv. 16-17, <>forsaketh the guide of her youth, <>youth

18 For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

<>vv. 18-19, <>death, <>dead

19 None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

<>vv. 18-19

20 That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

<>in the way, <>the way of good

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

<>vv. 21-22, <>the upright shall dwell in the land, <>the perfect

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

<>vv. 21-22, <>transgressors