3 My son, forget not my ^[a]law;
But let thy heart keep my commandments:
² For length of days, and years of life,
And peace, will they add to thee.

4 Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father,
And attend to know understanding:
² For I give you good doctrine;
Forsake ye not my ^[a]law.
³ For I was a son unto my father,
Tender and ^[b]only beloved in the sight of my mother.
⁴ And he taught me, and said unto me:
Let thy heart retain my words;
Keep my commandments, and live;
⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding;
Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
⁶ Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee;
Love her, and she will keep thee.
^7 [c]Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom;
Yea, with all ^[d]thy getting get understanding.
⁸ Exalt her, and she will promote thee;
She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.
⁹ She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace;
A crown of ^[e]beauty will she deliver to thee.

¹⁰ Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;
And the years of thy life shall be many.
¹¹ I have taught thee in the way of wisdom;
I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
¹² When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened;
And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
¹³ Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go:
Keep her; for she is thy life.

²⁰ My son, attend to my words;
Incline thine ear unto my sayings.
²¹ Let them not depart from thine eyes;
Keep them in the midst of thy heart.
²² For they are life unto those that find them,
And health to all their flesh.

5 My son, attend unto my wisdom;
Incline thine ear to my understanding:
² That thou mayest preserve discretion,
And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

²⁰ My son, keep the commandment of thy father,
And forsake not the ^[a]law of thy mother:
²¹ Bind them continually upon thy heart;
Tie them about thy neck.
²² When thou walkest, it shall lead thee;
When thou ^[b]sleepest, it shall watch over thee;
And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
²³ For ^[c]the commandment is a lamp; and ^[d]the law is light;
And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

7 My son, keep my words,
And lay up my commandments with thee.
² Keep my commandments and live;
And my law as the apple of thine eye.
³ Bind them upon thy fingers;
Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.