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

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

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

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

5 G et wisdom, get intelligence: forget not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

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

7 T he beginning of wisdom, Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.

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

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

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

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

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

13 T ake fast hold of instruction, let not go: keep her, for she is thy life.

14 E nter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil:

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

16 F or they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused to fall.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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