The Rewards of Wisdom
1 My child, learn what I teach you and never forget what I tell you to do. 2 Listen to what is wise and try to understand it. 3 Yes, beg for knowledge; plead for insight. 4 Look for it as hard as you would for silver or some hidden treasure. 5 If you do, you will know what it means to fear the Lord and you will succeed in learning about God. 6 It is the Lord who gives wisdom; from him come knowledge and understanding. 7 He provides help and protection for those who are righteous and honest. 8 He protects those who treat others fairly, and guards those who are devoted to him.
9 If you listen to me, you will know what is right, just, and fair. You will know what you should do. 10 You will become wise, and your knowledge will give you pleasure. 11 Your insight and understanding will protect you 12 and prevent you from doing the wrong thing. They will keep you away from people who stir up trouble by what they say— 13 those who have abandoned a righteous life to live in the darkness of sin, 14 those who find pleasure in doing wrong and who enjoy senseless evil, 15 unreliable people who cannot be trusted.
16 You will be able to resist any immoral woman who tries to seduce you with her smooth talk, 17 who is faithless to her own husband and forgets her sacred vows. 18 If you go to her house, you are traveling the road to death. To go there is to approach the world of the dead. 19 No one who visits her ever comes back. He never returns to the road to life. 20 So you must follow the example of good people and live a righteous life. 21 Righteous people—people of integrity—will live in this land of ours. 22 But God will snatch the wicked from the land and pull sinners out of it like plants from the ground.
Gudrības vērtība
1 Dēls, ja tu pieņemsi manus vārdus
un manas pavēles turēsi vērtē,
2 ja pievērsīsi gudrībai savu ausi,
ja sapratnei atvērsi sirdi,
3 ak, ja pēc atskārsmes sauksi,
ja pilnā balsī pēc sapratnes kliegsi,
4 ja meklēsi to kā sudrabu,
lūkosi pēc tās kā apslēptas mantas,
5 tad tu zināsi, kā bijāt Kungu,
kā Dievu pazīt, tu iemācīsies,
6 jo Kungs ir tas, kas gudrību dod,
no viņa mutes – zināšana un sapratne!
7 Taisnajiem viņš padomu glabā –
vairogu visiem, kas dzīvo krietni,
8 viņš uzrauga taisnības takas,
viņš saviem uzticīgajiem sargā ceļu!
9 Tad tu sapratīsi taisnību un tiesu,
un patiesību – takas, kas ved uz labu,
10 jo ienāks gudrība tavā sirdī
un zināšana darīs tev prieku,
11 izmanība tevi sargās,
un sapratne tevi uzraudzīs,
12 glābs tevi no ļaundaru ceļa,
no tiem, kas nešķīsti runā,
13 kas pamet taisnības takas,
lai staigātu tumsības ceļos,
14 kas priecīgi darīt ļaunu
un līksmo par ļaunu nešķīstību,
15 kas tekā pa līkām takām
un staigā greizus ceļus!
16 Tās tevi glābs no svešinieces,
no cita sievas, kam gludena runa,
17 kas pametusi jaunības vīru,
kas sava Dieva derību aizmirsusi!
18 Viņas slieksnis ved lejup nāvē,
pie ēnām ved viņas takas,
19 kas iet pie viņas, vairs nepārnāk,
neatrod vairs dzīvības taku!
20 Tad nu staigā labu ļaužu ceļus
un turies uz taisno takām,
21 jo sirdsšķīstie apdzīvos zemi
un krietnie paliks tur,
22 bet ļaundarus izdeldēs no zemes
un viltvāržus izsakņos no tās!
