Makeyour earattentiveto wisdom,Inclineyour heartto understanding;
Soteachus to numberour days,That we may presentto You a heartof wisdom.
He who separateshimself seeks[his own] desire,He quarrelsagainst allsoundwisdom.
For ifyou cryfor discernment,Liftyour voicefor understanding;
Applyyour heartto disciplineAnd your earsto wordsof knowledge.
Hear,[O] sons,the instructionof a father,And giveattentionthat you may gainunderstanding,
My son,giveattentionto my words;Inclineyour earto my sayings.
The one who commitsadulterywith a womanis lackingsense;He who would destroyhimselfdoesit.
I directedmy mindto know,to investigateand to seekwisdomand an explanation,and to knowthe evilof follyand the foolishnessof madness.
WhenI gavemy heartto knowwisdomand to seethe taskwhichhas been doneon the earth(eventhoughoneshould neversleepdayor night),
AllthisI have seenand appliedmy mindto everydeedthat has been doneunderthe sunwhereina manhas exercisedauthorityover [another] manto his hurt.
"Inclineyour earand cometo Me. Listen,that you may live;And I will makean everlastingcovenantwith you, [According to] the faithfulmerciesshown to David.
"He who hasears,let him hear."
Nowthesewere more noble-mindedthan thosein Thessalonica,for they receivedthe wordwith greateagerness,examiningthe Scripturesdaily[to see] whetherthese thingswere so.
