The Benefits of Wisdom

1My sonne, yf thou wilt receaue my wordes, and kepe my comaundemetes by the,

2that thine eare maye herken vnto wysdome, applie thine herte then to vnderstodinge.

3For yf thou criest after wysdome, & callest for knowlege:

4yf thou sekest after her as after money, and dyggest for her as for treasure:

5The shalt thou vnderstonde ye feare of the LORDE, and fynde ye knowlege of God.

6For it is the LORDE that geueth wysdome, out of his mouth commeth knowlege and vnderstondinge.

7He preserueth ye welfare of the rightuous, and defendeth them yt walke innocently:

8he kepeth them in ye right path, and preserueth ye waye of his sayntes.

9Then shalt thou vnderstonde rightuousnesse, iudgment and equite, yee and euery good path.

10Yf wysdome entre in to thine herte, and yi soule delyte in knowlege:

11then shal councell preserue the, and vnderstondinge shal kepe the.

12That thou mayest be delyuered fro ye euell waye, and from the man yt speaketh frowarde thinges.

13From soch as leaue the hye strete, and walke i ye wayes of darcknesse:

14which reioyse in doynge euell, and delyte i wicked thinges:

15whose wayes are croked, and their pathes slaunderous.

16That thou mayest be delyuered also from the straunge woman, and from her that is not thine owne: which geueth swete wordes,

17forsaketh the husbande of hir youth, and forgetteth the couenaunt of hir God.

18For hir house is enclyned vnto death, and hir pathes vnto hell.

19All they that go in vnto her, come not agayne, nether take they holde of the waye of life.

20That thou mayest walke in ye good waye, and kepe the pathes of the rightuous.

21For the iust shal dwell in the londe, and the innocentes shal remayne in it:

22but the vngodly shalbe roted out of ye londe, and the wicked doers shalbe taken out of it.