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Rewards of Wisdom

My ·child [or son], ·listen to [grasp] what I say
    and ·remember [L store up] what I command you.
·Listen carefully [L Bend your ear] to wisdom;
    ·set your mind on [L stretch your heart to] understanding.
Cry out for wisdom,
    and ·beg [shout out loud] for understanding.
·Search [Seek] for it like silver,
    and ·hunt [search] for it like hidden treasure.
Then you will understand ·respect [fear; awe; 1:7] for the Lord,
    and you will find ·that you know God [the knowledge of God].
Only the Lord gives wisdom;
    ·he gives [L from his mouth comes] knowledge and understanding.
He stores up ·wisdom [resourcefulness] for those who ·are honest [have integrity].
    Like a shield he protects the innocent.
He ·makes sure that justice is done [L guards the path of justice],
    and he protects those who are loyal to him.

Then you will understand what is ·honest [righteous] and ·fair [just]
    and what is ·the good and right thing to do [L virtuous, every good course/path].
10 Wisdom will ·come into your mind [penetrate your heart],
    and knowledge will be ·pleasing [attractive] to you.
11 ·Good sense [Discretion] will protect you;
    understanding will guard you.
12 It will keep you from the ·wicked [L evil path],
    from those whose words are ·bad [perverted; twisted],
13 who ·don’t do what is right [L abandoned the road of integrity]
    but ·what is evil [L go on dark paths].
14 They enjoy doing wrong
    and are happy ·to do what is crooked and [L with their twisted] evil.
15 What they do is ·wrong [confused],
    and ·their ways are dishonest [L they go on wrong courses].

16 It [C Wisdom] will save you from the ·unfaithful wife [L strange woman]
    ·who tries to lead you into adultery [L from the foreign woman] with ·pleasing words [flattery; compliments].
17 She leaves ·the husband she married when she was young [L the intimate relationship of her youth].
    She ·ignores [forgets] ·the promise she made before [L her covenant with] God.
18 Her house ·is on the way [L sinks down] to death;
    ·those who took that path are now all dead [or her paths come down to her dead ancestors].
19 No one who goes to her comes back
    or walks the path of life again.

20 ·But wisdom will help you be good [or Stay on the path of good people]
    and ·do what is right [guard the road of the righteous].
21 Those who ·are honest [have integrity/virtue] will live in the land,
    and those who are ·innocent [blameless] will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be ·removed [L cut off] from the land,
    and the unfaithful will be ·thrown out of [L uprooted from] it.

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