Chapter 4

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;

for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.

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

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

Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.

The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.

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

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

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.

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

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

Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:

avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.

For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

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

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.

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

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

Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.