1 If you fear the Lord, you will do this. Master his Law, and you will find Wisdom. 2 She will come to welcome you, like a mother or a young bride. 3 She will give you wisdom and knowledge like food and drink. 4 Rely on her for support, and you will never know the disgrace of failure. 5 She will make you more honored than all your neighbors; when you speak in the assembly, she will give you the right words. 6 You will find happiness and genuine joy; your name will be remembered forever.
7 But people who are foolish or sinful will never even catch sight of Wisdom. 8 She will have nothing to do with conceited people; she never enters the mind of liars. 9 It is not appropriate for a sinner to sing hymns of praise, because his worship is insincere. 10 A hymn should be an expression of wisdom, inspired by the Lord himself.
Free Will
11 Don't blame the Lord for your sin; the Lord does not cause what he hates. 12 Don't claim that he has misled you; he doesn't need the help of sinners to accomplish his purposes. 13 The Lord hates evil in all its forms, and those who fear the Lord find nothing attractive in evil. 14 When, in the beginning, the Lord created human beings, he left them free to do as they wished. 15 If you want to, you can keep the Lord's commands. You can decide whether you will be loyal to him or not. 16 He has placed fire and water before you; reach out and take whichever you want. 17 You have a choice between life and death; you will get whichever you choose. 18 The Lord's wisdom and power are great and he sees everything. 19 He is aware of everything a person does, and he takes care of those who fear him. 20 He has never commanded anyone to be wicked or given anyone permission to sin.
© Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
