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[1]Mi sone, if thou resseyuest my wordis, `and hidist myn heestis anentis thee;
[2]that thin eere here wisdom, bowe thin herte to knowe prudence.
[3]For if thou inwardli clepist wisdom, and bowist thin herte to prudence;
[4]if thou sekist it as money, and diggist it out as tresours;
[5]thanne thou schalt vndirstonde the drede of the Lord, and schalt fynde the kunnyng of God.
[6]For the Lord yyueth wisdom; and prudence and kunnyng is of his mouth.
[7]He schal kepe the heelthe of riytful men, and he schal defende hem that goen sympli.
[8]And he schal kepe the pathis of riytfulnesse, and he schal kepe the weies of hooli men.
[9]Thanne thou schalt vndirstonde riytfulnesse, and dom, and equytee, and ech good path.
[10]If wysdom entrith in to thin herte, and kunnyng plesith thi soule,
[11]good councel schal kepe thee, and prudence schal kepe thee; that thou be delyuered fro an yuel weie,
[12]and fro a man that spekith weiward thingis.
[13]Whiche forsaken a riytful weie, and goen bi derk weies;
[14]whiche ben glad, whanne thei han do yuel, and maken ful out ioye in worste thingis;
[15]whose weies ben weywerd, and her goyingis ben of yuel fame.
[16]That thou be delyuered fro an alien womman, and fro a straunge womman, that makith soft hir wordis;
[17]and forsakith the duyk of hir tyme of mariage,
[18]and hath foryete the couenaunt of hir God. For the hous of hir is bowid to deeth, and hir pathis to helle.
[19]Alle that entren to hir, schulen not turne ayen, nether schulen catche the pathis of lijf.
[20]That thou go in a good weie, and kepe the pathis of iust men.
[21]Forsothe thei that ben riytful, schulen dwelle in the lond; and symple men schulen perfitli dwelle ther ynne.
[22]But vnfeithful men schulen be lost fro the loond; and thei that doen wickidli, schulen be takun awey fro it.
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