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[1]Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
[2]for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
[3]For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
[4]And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
[5]Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
[6]Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
[7]The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
[8]Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
[9]She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
[10]Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
[11]I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
[12]When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
[13]Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
[14]Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
[15]avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
[16]For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
[17]For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
[18]But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
[19]The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
[20]My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
[21]Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
[22]For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
[23]Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
[24]Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
[25]Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
[26]Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
[27]Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
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