1If you fear the Lord, you will do this. Master his Law, and you will find Wisdom. 2She will come to welcome you, like a mother or a young bride. 3She will give you wisdom and knowledge like food and drink. 4Rely on her for support, and you will never know the disgrace of failure. 5She will make you more honored than all your neighbors; when you speak in the assembly, she will give you the right words. 6You will find happiness and genuine joy; your name will be remembered forever.

7But people who are foolish or sinful will never even catch sight of Wisdom. 8She will have nothing to do with conceited people; she never enters the mind of liars. 9It is not appropriate for a sinner to sing hymns of praise, because his worship is insincere. 10A 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. 12Don't claim that he has misled you; he doesn't need the help of sinners to accomplish his purposes. 13The Lord hates evil in all its forms, and those who fear the Lord find nothing attractive in evil. 14When, in the beginning, the Lord created human beings, he left them free to do as they wished. 15If you want to, you can keep the Lord's commands. You can decide whether you will be loyal to him or not. 16He has placed fire and water before you; reach out and take whichever you want. 17You have a choice between life and death; you will get whichever you choose. 18The Lord's wisdom and power are great and he sees everything. 19He is aware of everything a person does, and he takes care of those who fear him. 20He has never commanded anyone to be wicked or given anyone permission to sin.