Listen to a Father's Instruction

1{2}I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.

2{3}For I also was my father's son, tender, and as an only son in the sight of my mother:

3{4}And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.

4{5}Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

5{6}Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.

6{7}The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.

7{8}Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.

8{9}She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.

9{10}Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.

10{11}I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:

11{12}Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.

12{13}Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.

13{14}Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.

14{15}Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.

15{16}For they sleep not, except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.

16{17}They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.

17{18}But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day.

18{19}The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.

19{20}My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.

20{21}Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:

21{22}For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.

22{23}With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.

23{24}Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.

24{25}Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.

25{26}Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.

26{27}Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.

27{5:1}My son, attend to my wisdom, and incline thy ear to my prudence,