智慧的益處
1孩子啊，
你若接受我的教誨，
珍愛我的誡命，
2側耳聆聽智慧，
傾心渴慕悟性；
3你若呼求洞見，
竭力追求悟性，
4尋它如尋銀子，
找它如找寶藏，
5你就會懂得敬畏耶和華，
認識上帝。
6因為耶和華賜人智慧，
知識和悟性出自祂的口。
7祂使正直人充滿智慧，
是行為純全者的盾牌。
8祂看守正義之路，
護衛虔誠人的道。
9這樣，你就明白何為仁義、
公平和正直，
懂得一切美善之道。
10因為智慧必進入你心，
知識必令你的靈歡快。
11明辨力必護佑你，
悟性必看顧你。
12智慧必救你遠離惡道，
脫離言語荒謬的人。
13他們捨棄正道，走上黑路，
14以行惡為樂，喜愛惡人的邪僻；
15他們的道路歪邪，行徑扭曲。
16智慧要救你脫離淫婦，
脫離花言巧語的妓女。
17她撇棄了年輕時的丈夫，
忘了在上帝面前立的約。
18她的家通向死亡，
她的路直達陰間。
19到她那裡的人都有去無回，
找不到生命之道。
20所以你要行善人的路，
守義人的道。
21因為在地上，
正直人必安居，
純全無過的人必長存，
22惡人必遭滅絕，
奸徒必被剷除。
Good Things Come From Wisdom
1My son, accept my words.
Store up my commands inside you.
2Let your ears listen to wisdom.
Apply your heart to understanding.
3Call out for the ability to be wise.
Cry out for understanding.
4Look for it as you would look for silver.
Search for it as you would search for hidden treasure.
5Then you will understand how to have respect for the Lord.
You will find out how to know God.
6The Lord gives wisdom.
Knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.
7He stores up success for honest people.
He is like a shield to those who live without blame.
8He guards the path of those who are honest.
He watches over the way of his faithful ones.
9You will understand what is right and honest and fair.
You will understand the right way to live.
10Your heart will become wise.
Your mind will delight in knowledge.
11Good sense will keep you safe.
Understanding will guard you.
12Wisdom will save you from the ways of evil men.
It will save you from men who twist their words.
13Men like that have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways.
14They take delight in doing what is wrong.
They take joy in twisting everything around.
15Their paths are crooked.
Their ways are not straight.
16Wisdom will save you from a woman who commits adultery.
It will save you from a sinful woman and her tempting words.
17She has left the man she married when she was young.
She has broken the promise she made in front of God.
18Surely her house leads down to death.
Her paths lead to the spirits of the dead.
19No one who goes to her comes back
or reaches the paths of life.
20You will walk in the ways of good people.
You will follow the paths of those who do right.
21Honest people will live in the land.
Those who are without blame will remain in it.
22But sinners will be cut off from the land.
Those who aren’t faithful will be torn away from it.
