8 Part Condition (vs. 1 – 4)

If YOU receive my words

(if YOU) treasure my commands

(if YOU) incline your ear to wisdom

(if YOU) apply your heart to understanding

if YOU cry for discernment

(if YOU) lift up your voice for understanding

if YOU seek her as silver

(if YOU) search for her as hidden treasure

(vs. 5-8)

Then YOU will understand the fear of the Lord

and YOU will find the knowledge of God

Because the Lord gives:

wisdom

knowledge

understanding

He stores up sound wisdom for the upright

He is a shield to those who walk uprightly

He guards the paths of justice

And He preserves the way of His saints

(vs. 9-11)

Then YOU will understand righteousness and justice

(and YOU will understand) equity and every good path

Because wisdom will enter YOUR heart

and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul

Discretion will preserve YOU

Understanding will keep YOU

(vs. 12-15)

To deliver YOU from the way of evil,

(to deliver YOU) from the man who speaks perverse things

From those who leave the paths of uprightness

and walk in the ways of darkness

(From those) who rejoice in doing evil

and delight in the perversity of the wicked

(From those) whose ways are crooked

and who are devious in their paths

(vs. 16-19)

To deliver YOU from the immoral woman

(to deliver YOU) from the seductress who flatters with her

words

(The one) who forsakes the companion of

her youth

and forgets the covenant of her God

Because he house leads down to death

and he paths (lead to) the dead

None who go to her will return

nor do they regain the paths of life

Conclusion

(vs. 20-22)

                                                           So YOU will walk in the way of goodness

                                                               And YOU (will) keep to the paths of righteousness

                                                                                  Because the upright will dwell in the Land

                                                                                   and the blameless will remain in it

                                                                                   But the wicked ones will be cut off from the Earth

                                                                                   and the unfaithful will be uprooted from it.