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A Father's Wise Instruction

¹ Hear, O sons, the ^(C1)discipline of a father,
And ^(C2)pay attention that you may know understanding,

² For I give you ^(F1)sound ^(C1)learning;
^(C2)Do not forsake my ^(F2)instruction.

³ When I was a son to my father,
^(C1)Tender and ^(C2)the only son before my mother,

⁴ Then he ^(C1)instructed me and said to me,
"Let your heart ^(C2)hold fast my words;
^(C3)Keep my commandments and live;

^5 (C1)Acquire wisdom! ^(C2)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget and do not turn away from the sayings of my mouth.

⁶ "Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
^(C1)Love her, and she will guard you.

⁷ "^(F1)(C1)The beginning of wisdom is: ^(C2)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, acquire understanding.

⁸ "^(C1)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.

⁹ "She will give ^(C1)for your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty."

¹⁰ Hear, my son, and ^(C1)receive my sayings
And the ^(C2)years of your life will be many.

¹¹ I have ^(C1)instructed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright tracks.

¹² When you walk, your ^(C1)steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you ^(C2)will not stumble.

^13 (C1)Seize discipline; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your ^(C2)life.

^14 (C1)Do not enter the path of wicked men
And do not step into the way of evil men.

¹⁵ Avoid it, do not pass by it;
^(C1)Stray from it and pass on.

¹⁶ For they ^(C1)do not sleep unless they do evil;
And ^(F1)they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.

¹⁷ For they ^(C1)eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ But the ^(C1)path of the righteous is like the ^(C2)light of dawn,
That ^(C3)shines brighter and brighter until the ^(C4)fullness of day.

¹⁹ The ^(C1)way of the wicked is like thick darkness;
They do not know over what they ^(F1)(C2)stumble.

²⁰ My son, ^(C1)pay attention to my words;
^(C2)Incline your ear to my sayings.

^21 (C1)Do not let them deviate from your eyes;
^(C2)Keep them in the midst of your heart.

²² For they are ^(C1)life to those who find them
And ^(C2)healing to all his flesh.

²³ Guard your heart with all diligence,
For ^(C1)from it flow the springs of life.

²⁴ Put away from you a ^(C1)perverse mouth
And ^(C2)put devious lips far from you.

²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead
And even let your eyelids be fixed straight in front of you.

^26 (C1)Watch the track of your feet
And all your ^(C2)ways will be established.

^27 (C1)Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
^(C2)Turn your foot from evil.