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

My son, if sinners entice you, consent not.

My son, walk not in the way with them; refrain your foot from their path:

Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.

Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

But you have ignored all my counsel, and would have none of my reproof:

Then shall they call upon me, but 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 reproof.

But whosoever hearkens unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be secure from the fear of evil.

My son, if you will receive my words, and lay up my commandments with you;

That you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

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

My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

My son, let not them depart from your eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

For I give you good doctrine, forsake not my law.

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

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let your heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither 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, attend to my words; incline your ear unto my sayings.

My son, be attentive to my wisdom, and incline your ear to my understanding:

That you may preserve discretion, and that your lips may keep knowledge.

Hear me now therefore, O you children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

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

And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me!

And why will you, my son, be infatuated with an immoral woman, and embrace the bosom of a seductress?

My son, if you become surety for your friend, if you have struck your hand with a stranger,

Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, when you have come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself, and plead with your friend.

My son, keep your father's commandment, and forsake not the law of your mother:

My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with you.

Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of your eye.

Say unto wisdom, you are my sister; and call understanding your kinswoman:

That they may keep you from the immoral woman, from the seductress who flatters with her words.

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

I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.

I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with colored spreads, with fine linen of Egypt.

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

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

Hearken unto me now therefore, O you children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

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

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

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

All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing crooked or perverse 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.

By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

Riches and honor are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness.

My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

That I may cause those that love me to inherit wealth; and I will fill their treasuries.

The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

Now therefore hearken unto me, O you children: for blessed are they that keep my ways.

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

For whosoever finds me finds life, and shall obtain favor of the LORD.

But he that sins against me wrongs his own soul: all they that hate me love death.

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

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

The way of life leads above to the wise, that he may depart from sheol beneath.

A fool has no delight in understanding, but that his heart may express itself.

Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days.

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causes to stray from the words of knowledge.

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

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

Bow down your ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply your heart unto my knowledge.

That your trust may be in the LORD, 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 inmost being shall rejoice, when your lips speak right things.

Hear you, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the way.

My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways.

They have stricken me, you shall say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

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

My son, fear the LORD and the king: and associate not with them that are given to change:

Say not, I will do so to him as he has done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

Boast not yourself of tomorrow; for you know not what a day may bring forth.

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

Two things have I required of you; deny me not them before I die:

Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food needful for me:

Lest I be full, and deny you, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

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