A Father’s Instruction

¹ Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;

pay attention and gain understanding.

² For I give you sound teaching;

do not abandon my directive.

³ When I was a son to my father,

tender and the only child of my mother,

⁴ he taught me and said,

“Let your heart lay hold of my words;

keep my commands and you will live.

⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding;

do not forget my words or turn from them.

⁶ Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you;

love her, and she will guard you.

⁷ Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom.

And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.

⁸ Prize her, and she will exalt you;

if you embrace her, she will honor you.

⁹ She will set a garland of grace on your head;

she will present you with a crown of beauty.”

¹⁰ Listen, my son, and receive my words,

and the years of your life will be many.

¹¹ I will guide you in the way of wisdom;

I will lead you on straight paths.

¹² When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;

when you run, you will not stumble.

¹³ Hold on to instruction; do not let go.

Guard it, for it is your life.

¹⁴ Do not set foot on the path of the wicked

or walk in the way of evildoers.

¹⁵ Avoid it;^* do not travel on it.

Turn from it and pass on by.

¹⁶ For they cannot sleep

unless they do evil;

they are deprived of slumber

until they make someone fall.

¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine^* of violence.

¹⁸ The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,

shining brighter^* and brighter until midday.

¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;

they do not know what makes them stumble.

²⁰ My son, pay attention to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

²¹ Do not lose sight of them;

keep them within your heart.

²² For they are life to those who find them,

and health to the whole body.

²³ Guard your heart with all diligence,^*

for from it flow springs of life.

²⁴ Put away deception from your mouth;

keep your lips from perverse speech.

²⁵ Let your eyes look forward;

fix your gaze straight ahead.

²⁶ Make a level path for your feet,

and all your ways will be sure.

²⁷ Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your feet away from evil.