My son, hear the instruction of your father, and forsake not the law of your mother;

My son, if sinners lure you, do not be willing.

My son, do not walk in the way with them! Keep back your foot from their path,

Turn at my warning; behold, I will pour out my Spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

Because I called, and you refused; I stretched out my hand, and no one paid attention;

but you have despised all my advice, and would have none of my warning.

Then they shall call upon me, and I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me;

They would have none of my counsel; they despised all my correction,

But whoever listens to me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

My son, if you will receive my words and hide my commandments with you,

in order that you may walk in the way of good and keep the paths of the righteous.

My son, forget not my law; but let your heart keep my commandments;

My son, do not despise the chastening of Jehovah; nor be weary with His correction;

My son, do not let them depart from your eyes; keep sound wisdom and judgment,

For I give you good teaching; do not forsake my law.

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

He also taught me, and said to me, Let your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments and live.

Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not; nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of your life shall be many.

My son, listen to my words; bow down your ear to my sayings.

My son, listen to my wisdom; bow your ear to my understanding;

in order to keep discretion, that your lips may keep knowledge.

And now hear me, O sons, and do not depart from the words of my mouth.

and say, How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction;

and I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor bowed down my ears to those who taught me!

And why will you, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

My son, if you are surety for your friend, if you struck your palms with a stranger,

My son, do this now, and deliver yourself when you have come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself and make your friend sure.

My son, keep your father's commandments, and do not forsake the law of your mother;

My son, keep my words and store up my commandments within you.

Keep my commandments and live; and keep my law as the pupil of your eye.

Say to wisdom, You are my sister; and call understanding your kinsman,

so that they may keep you from the strange woman, from the stranger who flatters with her words.

For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice,

I have peace offerings with me; today I have paid my vows.

I have decked my bed with coverings, with striped cloths of Egyptian linen.

I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

For my husband is not at home, he has gone on a long journey;

And now listen to me, sons, and attend to the words of my mouth.

To you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man.

Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things.

For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is hateful to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; nothing twisted or perverse is in them.

Receive my instruction and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold.

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

By me kings reign and princes decree justice.

Princes rule by me, and nobles, all the judges of the earth.

I love those who love me; and those who seek me early shall find me.

Riches and honor are with me; enduring riches and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and what I give is better than choice silver.

I may cause those who love me to inherit riches; and I will fill their treasuries.

Jehovah possessed me from the beginning of His way, before His works of old.

rejoicing in the world, His earth; and my delight was with the sons of men.

And now listen to me, O sons; for blessed are those who keep my ways.

Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

For whoever finds me finds life, and shall obtain favor from Jehovah.

But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; all who hate me love death.

Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.

For by Me your days shall be multiplied, and the years of your life shall be increased.

The way of life is above to the wise, so that he may turn away from hell below.

A fool has no delight in understanding, but only that his heart may lay itself bare.

A man who has friends may be broken up, but there is a Lover who sticks closer than a brother.

Hear advice, and receive instruction, so that you may be wise in your latter end.

My son, cease to hear the discipline, only to stray from the words of knowledge.

Who can say, I have made my heart clean; I am pure from my sin?

Bow down your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart to My knowledge.

so that your trust may be in Jehovah, I have made known to you this day, even to you.

My son, if your heart is wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.

Yea, my heart shall rejoice when your lips speak right things.

My son, hear and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.

My son, give Me your heart, and let your eyes watch My ways.

saying, They struck me; I was not sick; they beat me, but I did not know it. When I awaken, I will add more. I will seek it again.

My son, eat honey, because it is good; and the honeycomb is sweet to your palate;

My son, fear Jehovah and the king; and do not fellowship with those who are given to change;

Do not say, I will do so to him as he has done to me; I will give to the man according to his work.

Then I saw; I set my heart on it; I looked and I received instruction.

Answer a fool according to his foolishness, so that he may not be wise in his own eyes.

Do not boast yourself of tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth.

My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, so that I may answer him who shames me.

remove far from me vanity and a lying word; give me neither poverty or riches; tear for me my portion of bread,

lest I be full and deceive, and say, Who is Jehovah? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and violate the name of my God.

Three things are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I do not know:

What, my son? And what, the son of my womb? And what, the son of my vows?