Read the Bible

¹ Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:² For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.³ For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.⁴ And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:⁵ Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.⁶ Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.⁷ The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.⁸ Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.⁹ She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.¹⁰ Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.¹¹ I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.¹² When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.¹³ Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴ Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.¹⁵ Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.¹⁶ For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.¹⁷ The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.¹⁸ But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.¹⁹ The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.

²⁰ My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.²¹ Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.²² For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.²³ And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.²⁴ Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.²⁵ Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.²⁶ Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.²⁷ Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.