GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New International Version NIV
1 My son, if you take my words [to heart] and treasure my commands within you,
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My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you,
2 if you pay close attention to wisdom, and let your mind reach for understanding,
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turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding—
3 if indeed you call out for insight, if you ask aloud for understanding,
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indeed, if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding,
4 if you search for wisdom as if it were money and hunt for it as if it were hidden treasure,
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and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and you will find the knowledge of God.
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then you will understand the fear of the LORDand find the knowledge of God.
6 The LORD gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
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For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
7 He has reserved priceless wisdom for decent people. He is a shield for those who walk in integrity
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He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
8 in order to guard those on paths of justice and to watch over the way of his godly ones.
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for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.
9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-- every good course [in life].
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Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.
10 Wisdom will come into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
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For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Foresight will protect you. Understanding will guard you.
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Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.
12 [Wisdom will] save you from the way of evil, from the person who speaks devious things,
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Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,
13 from those who abandon the paths of righteousness to walk the ways of darkness,
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who have left the straight paths to walk in dark ways,
14 from those who enjoy doing evil, from those who find joy in the deviousness of evil.
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who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 Their paths are crooked. Their ways are devious.
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whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.
16 [Wisdom will] also save you from an adulterous woman, from a loose woman with her smooth talk,
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Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who leaves [her husband,] the closest friend of her youth, and forgets her marriage vows to her God.
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who has left the partner of her youth and ignored the covenant she made before God.
18 Her house sinks down to death. Her ways lead to the souls of the dead.
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Surely her house leads down to death and her paths to the spirits of the dead.
19 None who have sex with her come back. Nor do they ever reach the paths of life.
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None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.
20 So walk in the way of good people and stay on the paths of righteous people.
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Thus you will walk in the ways of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 Decent people will live in the land. People of integrity will remain in it.
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For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;
22 But wicked people will be cut off from the land and treacherous people will be torn from it.
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but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.