Listen to a Father's Instruction

1Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;

2for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.

3For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.

4And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.

5Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.

7The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.

8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.

9She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.

10Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.

11I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.

12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.

14Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:

15avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.

16For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.

17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

18But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.

19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.

22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

23Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.

24Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.

25Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.

27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.