My son, dedicate yourself to learning from your youth, and you will grow in wisdom until old age.
Work at it like the worker and the sower, cultivate wisdom and wait for her excellent fruits. For in cultivating her you will some trouble, but soon you will enjoy her fruits.
Wisdom is very severe with the ignorant. A foolish man will not persevere.
She will be like a heavy weight or a difficult test which he will quickly throw away.
For wisdom brings her own honor, she does not reveal herself to everyone.
Listen, my son, and receive my teaching, do not reject my counsel.
Put her constraints on your feet and her yoke on your neck.
Put your shoulder to the burden and bear her yoke; do not rebel against her chains.
Come to her with all your soul and with all your strength observe her ways.
Pursue her, search for her, she will make herself known to you; when you have her, do not let her go.
For, in the end, you will find in her your rest and she will become your joy.
Her constraints will strengthen your steps and her collar will be your glorious garment.
Her yoke will become an ornament of gold and her chains like precious girdles of hyacinth blue.
You will adorn yourself as with a garment of glory and you will put her on like a crown of jubilation.
If you wish, my son, you will be learned; if you pay attention, you will become clever.
If you love to listen, you will learn; if you really pay attention, you will become wise.
Sirach 6:18-37