4 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction.
    Pay attention and know understanding;
² for I give you sound learning.
    Don’t forsake my law.
³ For I was a son to my father,
    tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
⁴ He taught me, and said to me:
    “Let your heart retain my words.
    Keep my commandments, and live.
⁵ Get wisdom.
    Get understanding.
    Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
⁶ Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you.
    Love her, and she will keep you.
⁷ Wisdom is supreme.
    Get wisdom.
    Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
⁸ Esteem her, and she will exalt you.
    She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
⁹ She will give to your head a garland of grace.
    She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

¹⁰ Listen, my son, and receive my sayings.
    The years of your life will be many.
¹¹ I have taught you in the way of wisdom.
    I have led you in straight paths.
¹² When you go, your steps will not be hampered.
    When you run, you will not stumble.
¹³ Take firm hold of instruction.
    Don’t let her go.
    Keep her, for she is your life.
¹⁴ Don’t enter into the path of the wicked.
    Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
¹⁵ Avoid it, and don’t pass by it.
    Turn from it, and pass on.
¹⁶ For they don’t sleep unless they do evil.
    Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸ But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light
    that shines more and more until the perfect day.
¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like darkness.
    They don’t know what they stumble over.

²⁰ My son, attend to my words.
    Turn your ear to my sayings.
²¹ Let them not depart from your eyes.
    Keep them in the center of your heart.
²² For they are life to those who find them,
    and health to their whole body.
²³ Keep your heart with all diligence,
    for out of it is the wellspring of life.
²⁴ Put away from yourself a perverse mouth.
    Put corrupt lips far from you.
²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead.
    Fix your gaze directly before you.
²⁶ Make the path of your feet level.
    Let all of your ways be established.
²⁷ Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left.
    Remove your foot from evil.