Read the Bible

¹ My child, you must follow
and treasure
    my teachings
    and my instructions.
² Keep in tune with wisdom
    and think what it means
    to have common sense.
³ Beg as loud as you can
    for good common sense.
⁴ Search for wisdom
    as you would search for silver
    or hidden treasure.
⁵ Then you will understand
what it means to respect
    and to know the Lord God.

⁶ All wisdom comes from the Lord,
    and so do common sense
    and understanding.
⁷ God gives helpful advice^[a]
    to everyone who obeys him
    and protects all of those
    who live as they should.
⁸ God sees that justice is done,
    and he watches over everyone
    who is faithful to him.
⁹ With wisdom you will learn
    what is right
    and honest and fair.

¹⁰ Wisdom will control your mind,
    and you will be pleased
    with knowledge.
¹¹ Sound judgment and good sense
    will watch over you.
¹² Wisdom will protect you
    from evil schemes
and from those liars
¹³     who turned from doing good
    to live in the darkness.
¹⁴ Most of all they enjoy
    being mean and deceitful.
¹⁵ They are dishonest themselves,
    and all they do is crooked.

¹⁶ Wisdom will protect you
    from the smooth talk
    of a sinful woman,
¹⁷ who breaks her wedding vows
    and leaves the man she married
    when she was young.
¹⁸ The road to her house leads
down
    to the dark world
    of the dead.
¹⁹ Visit her, and you will never
    find the road to life again.

²⁰ Follow the example
of good people
    and live an honest life.
²¹ If you are honest and innocent,
    you will keep your land;
²² if you do wrong
and can never be trusted,
    you will be rooted out.