| Chapter
4 |
| 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 law. |
| 3
| For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my
mother. |
| 4 | He taught me
also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments,
and live. |
| 5 | Get wisdom,
get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my
mouth. |
| 6 | Forsake her not,
and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. |
| 7 | Wisdom is the principal thing;
therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. |
| 8 | Exalt her, and she shall promote
thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. |
| 9 | She shall give to thine head an
ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to 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 right paths. |
| 12 |
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when 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 go not in the way of evil men. |
| 15 | Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from
it, and pass away. |
| 16 |
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; 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 just is as the shining light, 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
thine heart. |
| 22 | For they
are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. |
| 23 | Keep thy heart with all diligence;
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 | Ponder 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. |
