1. You who judge the earth, love what is right. Set your mind on the Lord in goodness. Seek him with a sincere heart.
2. Those who don’t put the Lord to the test will find him. He makes himself known to those who trust him.
3. Perverse reasoning separates people from God. His power exposes the foolish people who test him.
4. Wisdom will avoid a deceptive soul that plans evil. Wisdom won’t make her home in a body that is devoted to sin.
5. A holy, instructive spirit will flee deceit and leave when ignorant people start to plot. It is ashamed to be found in the presence of wrongdoing.
6. Wisdom is a spirit that wants only what is best for humans.Wisdom won’t declare blasphemers to be innocent because their own words convict them. God is witness to their thoughts. Truth examines the heart and hears what is said.
7. The Lord’s Spirit fills the whole world. It holds everything together and knows what everyone says.
8. Therefore, those who utter unjust words don’t escape notice. Justice will expose them and not pass them by.
9. A proper inquiry will be made into the plots of ungodly people. News of their words will reach the Lord and make their lawless deeds known.
10. God’s ear listens intently to everything anyone says. Murmurings can’t be kept secret for long.