4 ¶ Hearken, ye sons, unto the chastening of the father, and pay attention that ye might know understanding.

² For I give you good doctrine; do not forsake my law.

³ For I was my father’s son, tender and unique in the sight of my mother.

⁴ He taught me and said unto me, Sustain thine heart with 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 Grow in wisdom, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou hast embraced her.

⁹ She shall give to thine head an increase of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my words, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.

¹¹ I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have caused thee to walk in right paths.

¹² When thou goest in these paths, thy steps shall not be hindered; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³ Take fast hold of chastening; do not let go; keep this; for it 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 do not sleep, unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause someone 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 light of the morning star, that shines more and more until the day is perfect.

¹⁹ The way of the wicked is as darkness; they do not know in what they stumble.

²⁰ ¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my words.

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 medicine to all their flesh.

²³ Above all else, guard thy heart; for out of it flows the issues of life.

²⁴ Put away from thee the perversion of the mouth, and the deviation of the lips put far from thee.

²⁵ Let thine eyes look upon that which is right, and let thine eyelids straighten thy path 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.