- 1
- Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
- 2
- For I give you good doctrine;
forsake ye not my teaching.
- 3
- For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
- 4
- And he taught me, and said unto me: "Let thy heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live;
- 5
- Get wisdom, get understanding;
forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
- 6
- Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee;
love her, and she will keep thee.
- 7
- The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom;
yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
- 8
- Extol her, and she will exalt thee;
she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
- 9
- She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace;
a crown of glory will she bestow on thee."
- 10
- Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;
and the years of thy life shall be many.
- 11
- I have taught thee in the way of wisdom;
I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
- 12
- When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened;
and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
- 13
- Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go;
keep her, for she is thy life.
- 14
- Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
- 15
- Avoid it, pass not by it;
turn from it, and pass on.
- 16
- For they sleep not, except they have done evil;
and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
- 17
- For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
- 18
- But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
- 19
- The way of the wicked is as darkness;
they know not at what they stumble.
- 20
- My son, attend to my words;
incline thine ear unto my sayings.
- 21
- Let them not depart from thine eyes;
keep them in the midst of thy heart.
- 22
- For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
- 23
- Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart;
for out of it are the issues of life.
- 24
- Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
- 25
- Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
- 26
- Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
- 27
- Turn not to the right hand nor to the left;
remove thy foot from evil.
|