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Parental Advice

4Listen, children, to a father’s instruction,
   and be attentive, that you may gain^* insight;
² for I give you good precepts:
   do not forsake my teaching.
³ When I was a son with my father,
   tender, and my mother’s favourite,
⁴ he taught me, and said to me,
‘Let your heart hold fast my words;
   keep my commandments, and live.
⁵ Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away
   from the words of my mouth.
⁶ Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
   love her, and she will guard you.
⁷ The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
   and whatever else you get, get insight.
⁸ Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
   she will honour you if you embrace her.
⁹ She will place on your head a fair garland;
   she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.’

Admonition to Keep to the Right Path

¹⁰ Hear, my child, and accept my words,
   that the years of your life may be many.
¹¹ I have taught you the way of wisdom;
   I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
¹² When you walk, your step will not be hampered;
   and if you run, you will not stumble.
¹³ Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
   guard her, for she is your life.
¹⁴ Do not enter the path of the wicked,
   and do not walk in the way of evildoers.
¹⁵ Avoid it; do not go on it;
   turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶ For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
   they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness
   and drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸ But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
   which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
   they do not know what they stumble over.
²⁰ My child, be attentive to my words;
   incline your ear to my sayings.
²¹ Do not let them escape from your sight;
   keep them within your heart.
²² For they are life to those who find them,
   and healing to all their flesh.
²³ Keep your heart with all vigilance,
   for from it flow the springs of life.
²⁴ Put away from you crooked speech,
   and put devious talk far from you.
²⁵ Let your eyes look directly forwards,
   and your gaze be straight before you.
²⁶ Keep straight the path of your feet,
   and all your ways will be sure.
²⁷ Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
   turn your foot away from evil.