^4:1 Hear sons, the instruction of a father and attend to know understanding. ^4:2 Because I give you^* good doctrine. Do not forsake my law.

    ^4:3 Because I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. ^4:4 And he taught me and said to me, Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments and live.

    ^4:5 Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth. ^4:6Do not forsake her and she will preserve you. Love her and she will keep you.

    ^4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing. Get wisdom, yes, get understanding with all your substance.

    ^4:8 Exalt her and she will promote you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.

    ^4:9 She will give to your head a wreath of beauty and of charm; she will deliver a crown of beauty to you.

    ^4:10 Hear, O my son and receive my sayings and the years of your life will be many. ^4:11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in paths of uprightness. ^4:12 When you go, your steps will not be restricted. And if you run, you will not stumble.

    ^4:13 Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, because she is your life.

    ^4:14 Do not enter into the path of the wicked and do not advance in the way of evil men. ^4:15 Avoid it. Do not pass by it. Turn from it and pass on.

    ^4:16 Because they do not sleep unless they do evil. And their sleep is taken away unless they cause you to fall. ^4:17 Because they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

    ^4:18 But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shines more and more to the perfect day.

    ^4:19 The way of the wicked is as darkness. They do not know at what they stumble.

    ^4:20 My son, attend to my words. Incline your ear to my sayings. ^4:21 Do not let them depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart. ^4:22 Because they are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.

    ^4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, because out of it are the things of life.

    ^4:24 Put away from you a wayward mouth and put perverse lips far from you.

    ^4:25 Let your eyes look right on and let your eyelids look straight before you. ^4:26 Make the path of your feet level and let all your ways be established.^4:27 Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.