1  Hear, O sons, a father’s ^rinstruction,

and be attentive, that you may gain¹ insight,

2  for I give you good precepts;

^sdo not forsake my teaching.

3  When I was a son with my father,

tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

4  he taught me and said to me,

“Let your ^theart hold fast my words;

^ukeep my commandments, ^vand live.

5  ^wGet wisdom; get insight;

^xdo not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

6  Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

love her, and she will ^yguard you.

7  The ^zbeginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get insight.

8  Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her.

9  She will place on your head a ^agraceful garland;

she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

10  Hear, my son, and ^baccept my words,

that the years of your life may be ^cmany.

11  I have taught you the way of wisdom;

I have led you in the ^dpaths of uprightness.

12  When you walk, your step will not be hampered,

and if you run, you will not stumble.

13  ^eKeep hold of ^finstruction; do not let go;

guard her, for she is your ^glife.

14  Do not enter the ^hpath of the wicked,

and do not walk in the way of the evil.

15  Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on.

16  For ⁱthey 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 ^jlike the light of dawn,

which shines brighter and brighter until ^kfull day.

19  The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know over what they stumble.

20  My son, be ^lattentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

21  ^mLet them not escape from your sight;

keep them within your heart.

22  For they are life to those who find them,

and ⁿhealing to all their² flesh.

23  Keep your heart with all vigilance,

^ofor from it flow the springs of life.

24  Put away from you ^pcrooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you.

25  ^qLet your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

26  ^rPonder³ the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure.

27  Do not swerve ^sto the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.