III.

The advantages attending the pursuit of wisdom, and the evils to be avoided by such a course.

.CH. 11.

1 My son, O that thou wouldst receive my words,
And treasure up my precepts within thee!

2 That thou wouldst apply thine ear to wisdom,
And incline thy heart to understanding!
3 For if thou wilt call aloud to knowledge,
And lift up thy voice to understanding, —

4 If thou wilt seek her as silver,

And search for her as for hidden treasure,

5 Then shalt thou understand the fear of Jehovah, And find the knowledge of God.

6 For Jehovah gives wisdom;

From his mouth proceed knowledge and understanding:

7 He lays up safety for the righteous;

He is a shield to them that walk uprightly:

8 He guards the paths of equity,

And defends the way of his servants.

9 Then shalt thou understand righteousness, and equity, And uprightness, yea, every good path.

10 When wisdom enters into thy heart, And knowledge is pleasant to thy soul, 11 Discretion will guard thee,

Understanding will preserve thee.

12 It will deliver thee from the way of the wicked, From the men who speak perverse things;

13 Who forsake the paths of uprightness,

To walk in the ways of darkness s;

14 Who rejoice in doing evil,

And delight in the perverseness of the wicked;

15 Whose paths are crooked,

And who are froward in their ways.

16 It will deliver thee from the wife of another,
From the stranger, who uses smooth words;
17 Who forsakes the friend of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God.
18 For her house sinks down to Death,
And her paths to the mansion of the dead:
19 None that go to her return again;

They will not attain the paths of life.

20 Therefore walk thou in the way of good men, And keep the paths of the righteous:

21 For the upright shall dwell in the land,

And the righteous shall remain in it;

22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the land, And transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

IV.

Exhortation to obedience, to reliance upon God, to the due payment of offerings prescribed by the law, and to patience under the divine chastisements. The inestimable value of wisdom set forth. CH. III. 1-26.

1 My son, forget not my teaching,

And let thy heart observe my precepts! 2 For length of days, and years of life, And peace shall they multiply to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; Bind them around thy neck,

Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

4 Then shalt thou find favor and good success

5

In the sight of God and man.

Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not on thine own understanding; 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will make thy paths plain. 7 Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil. 8 It shall be health to thy navel, And moisture to thy bones.

9

Honor Jehovah with thy substance,

And with the first fruits of all thy increase; 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,

And thy vats overflow with new wine. 11 My son, despise not the correction of Jehovah, Nor be impatient under his chastisement!

12 For whom Jehovah loves he chastens,

13

Even as a father the son in whom he delights.

Happy the man who finds wisdom,

Yea, the man who gets understanding!

14 For her profit is greater than that of silver, And her gain than that of fine gold.

15 More valuable is she than pearls,

And none of thy precious things is to be compared with her.

16 Length of days is in her right hand;

In her left hand are riches and honor.

17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace.

18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold on her, And happy is every one who holds her fast.

19

Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding he framed the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the deeps burst forth, And the clouds drop down the dew.

21 My son, let them not depart from thine Keep sound wisdom and discretion!

22 For they shall be life to thy soul, And grace to thy neck.

23 Then shalt thou go on thy way securely, And thy foot shall not stumble ;

eyes;

24 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid,

Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. 25 Be not thou afraid of sudden alarm,

Nor of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh ; 26 For Jehovah shall be thy confidence,

And he will keep thy foot from being taken.

27

28

29

WITHHOLD not kindness from those who need it,
When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

Say not to thy neighbour, "Go, and come again,
And to-morrow I will give to thee," when thou hast it by

thee.

Devise not evil against thy neighbour,
While he dwelleth securely by thee.

30

Contend not with a man without cause,

When he hath done thee no harm.

31 Envy thou not the oppressor,

And choose none of his

ways.

32 For the perverse man is the abomination of Jehovah, But he is in friendship with the upright.

33 The curse of Jehovah is upon the house of the wicked, But he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

34 Scorners he treats scornfully,

But gives favor to the lowly. 35 The wise shall obtain honor, But fools shall bear off shame.

1

VI.

Exhortation to wisdom and virtue. CH. IV.

HEAR, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend, that ye may learn understanding!

2 For I give you good instruction;

Forsake ye not my precepts.

3 For I was my father's son,

A tender and only child in the sight of my mother.

4 He taught me and said to me,

Let thy heart hold fast my words;

Keep my commandments, and live. 5 Get wisdom, get understanding;

Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth. 6 Forsake her not, and she will guard thee;

Love her, and she will preserve thee.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom,