- 1
- Heare O ye chyldren a fatherly instruction, & take good heede, that ye may learne vnderstanding.
- 2
- For I haue geuen you a good doctrine, forsake not ye my lawe.
- 3
- For when I my selfe was my fathers deare sonne, and tenderly beloued of my mother:
- 4
- He taught me also and sayde vnto me, let thyne heart receaue my wordes, kepe my commaundementes and thou shalt liue.
- 5
- Get thee wysdome, and get thee vnderstanding: forget not the wordes of my mouth, and shrinke not from them.
- 6
- Forsake her not, and she shall preserue thee, loue her, and she shall kepe thee.
- 7
- The chiefe poynt of wysdome, is to possesse wysdome: and before all thy goodes to get thee vnderstanding.
- 8
- Make much of her, and she shall promote thee, yea if thou embrace her, she shall bryng thee vnto honour:
- 9
- She shal beautifie thy head with manyfolde graces, and garnishe thee with a crowne of glory.
- 10
- Heare my sonne, and receaue my wordes, and the yeres of thy life shalbe many.
- 11
- I haue shewed thee the way of wysdome, & led thee into the right pathes.
- 12
- So that if thou goest in them, there shall no straitnesse hinder thee: & when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
- 13
- Take fast holde of doctrine, and let her not go: kepe her, for she is thy life.
- 14
- Come not in the pathe of the vngodlye, and walke not in the way of the wicked:
- 15
- Abhorre it and go not therein, depart aside, and passe ouer by it.
- 16
- For they sleepe not except they haue done mischiefe: and sleepe is taken from them, vntyll they haue done harme.
- 17
- For they eate the bread of wickednes, and drinke the wine of robberie.
- 18
- The path of the righteous shineth, as the light that is euer bryghter and bryghter vnto the perfect day.
- 19
- But the way of the vngodly is as the darkenesse, they knowe not where they fall.
- 20
- My sonne marke my wordes, and encline thyne eare vnto my sayinges:
- 21
- Let them not depart from thine eyes, but kepe them euen in the middest of thyne heart:
- 22
- For they are life vnto those that finde them, and health vnto all their bodyes.
- 23
- Kepe thyne heart with all diligence, for out of it issueth lyfe.
- 24
- Put away from thee a frowarde mouth, and let the lippes of slaunder be farre from thee.
- 25
- Let thyne eyes beholde that thyng that is right, and let thyne eye liddes loke straight before thee.
- 26
- Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy wayes be ordred aright.
- 27
- Turne not aside, neither to the right hande nor to the left: but wihholde thy foote from euyll.
|