1   My sonne, if thou wylt receaue my wordes, and lay vp my commaundementes within thee,

2   That thou wylt encline thine eares vnto wisdome: applye thine heart then to vnderstandyng.

3   For if thou cryest after wisdome, and cryest for knowledge:

4   If thou seekest for her as for siluer, and searchest for her as for treasures:

5   Then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lorde, and finde the knowledge of God.

6    ^noteFor the Lorde geueth wisdome, out of his mouth commeth knowledge and vnderstandyng. B   

7   He stirreth vp health for the righteous: and defendeth them that walke vprightly,

8   That they may kepe the right path: and he preserueth the way of such as do serue him with godlinesse.

9   Then shalt thou vnderstande righteousnesse, and iudgement, and equitie, yea and euery good path.

10   When wisdome entreth into thine heart, and thy soule deliteth in knowledge:

11   Then shall counsayle preserue thee, and vnderstandyng shall kepe thee,

12   That thou mayest be deliuered from the euyll way, and from the man that speaketh frowarde thynges:

13   From such as leaue the wayes of righteousnesse, to walke in the wayes of darknesse: C   

14   Which reioyce in doyng naught, and delite in the wickednesse of the euyll:

15   Whose wayes are croked, and they frowarde in their pathes.

16   That thou mayest be deliuered also ^note from the straunge woman, and from her that is not thine owne, which geueth sweete wordes,

17   Forsaketh the husbande of her youth, ∧ forgetteth the couenaunt of her God.

18   For her house is enclined vnto death, and her pathes vnto hell.

19   All they that go in vnto her, come not agayne, neither take they holde of the way of lyfe.

20   Therfore walke thou in the way of such as be vertuous, ∧ kepe the pathes of the righteous.

21   For the iust shal dwell in the lande, and they that be perfect shall remayne in it.

22   But the vngodly shall be cut of from the earth: and the wicked doers shalbe rooted out of it.

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