4:1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence; |
4:2 for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law. |
4:3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother. |
4:4 And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live. |
4:5 Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. |
4:6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee. |
4:7 The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence. |
4:8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her. |
4:9 She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee. |
4:10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied. |
4:11 I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness. |
4:12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. |
4:13 Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life. |
4:14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]: |
4:15 avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away. |
4:16 For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall. |
4:17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. |
4:18 But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come. |
4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. |
4:20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. |
4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart. |
4:22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. |
4:23 Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life. |
4:24 Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee. |
4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. |
4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered. |
4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil. |