^8 (A)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And ^(B)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
⁹ For they are a ^(C)graceful wreath for your head
And ^(D)necklaces for your neck.

3 My son, ^(A)do not forget my ^[a]teaching,
But have your heart ^(B)comply with my commandments;
² For ^(C)length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.

4 Listen, my sons, to the ^(A)instruction of a father,
And ^(B)pay attention so that you may ^[a]gain understanding,
² For I give you good ^(C)teaching;
^(D)Do not abandon my ^[b]instruction.
³ When I was a son to my father,
^(E)Tender and ^(F)the only son in the sight of my mother,
⁴ He ^(G)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart ^(H)take hold of my words;
^(I)Keep my commandments and live;
^5 (J)Acquire wisdom! ^(K)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
⁶ Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
^(L)Love her, and she will watch over you.
^7 (M)The ^[c]beginning of wisdom is: ^(N)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
^8 (O)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
⁹ She will place ^(P)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”

5 My son, ^(A)pay attention to my wisdom,
^(B)Incline your ear to my understanding,
² So that you may ^(C)maintain discretion
And your ^(D)lips may comply with knowledge.

7 My son, ^(A)keep my words
And treasure my commandments within you.
^2 (B)Keep my commandments and live,
And my ^[a]teaching ^(C)as the ^[b]apple of your eye.
^3 (D)Bind them on your fingers;
^(E)Write them on the tablet of your heart.

¹⁷ One who ^(A)is on the path of life follows instruction,
But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray.

¹⁶ One who ^(A)keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
But one who ^[a]is careless of ^[b]conduct will die.