1 Love righteousness, you⌃ that be judges of the earth,
Think you⌃ of the Lordwith a good mind,
And in singleness of heart seek you⌃ him;
2 Because he is found of them that tempt him not,
And is manifested to them that do not distrust him.
3 For crooked thoughts separate from God;
And thesupremePower, when it is brought to the proof,puts to confusion the foolish:
4 Because wisdom will not enter into a soul that deviseth evil,
Nor dwell in a body that is held in pledge by sin.
5 For a holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit.
And will start away from thoughts that are without understanding,
And will beput to confusion when unrighteousness has come in.
6 Forwisdom is a spirit that loves man,
And she will not hold ablasphemer guiltless for his lips;
Because God bears witness of his reins,
And is a true overseer of his heart,
And a hearer of his tongue:
7 Because the spirit of the Lord has filledthe world,
And that which holds all things together has knowledge ofeveryvoice.
8 Therefore no man that utters unrighteous things shall be unseen;
Neither shall Justice, when it convicts, pass him by.
9 For inthe midst ofhis counsels the ungodly shall be searched out;
And the sound of his words shall come to the Lord
To bring to conviction his lawless deeds:
10 Becausethere isan ear of jealousythatlistens to all things,
And the noise of murmurings is not hid.
11 Beware then of unprofitable murmuring,
And refrain your tongue from backbiting;
Because no secret utterance shall go on its way void,
And a mouth that belies destroys a soul.
12 Court not death in the error of your life;
Neither draw upon yourselves destruction by the works of your hands:
13 Because God made not death;
Neither delights he when the living perish:
14 For he created all things that they might have being:
Andthe generative powers of the worldarehealthsome,
And there is no poison of destruction in them:
Nor has Hadesroyal dominion upon earth,
15 For righteousness is immortal:
16 But ungodly men by their hands and their words calleddeath to them:
Deeming him a friend theyconsumed away,
And they made a covenant with him,
Because they are worthy to be of his portion.