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[1]Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
[2]For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching.
[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 hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live;
[5]Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
[6]Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; love her, and she will keep thee.
[7]The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
[8]Extol her, and she will exalt thee; she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
[9]She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'
[10]Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
[11]I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
[12]When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if 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 walk not in the way of evil men.
[15]Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.
[16]For they sleep not, except they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
[17]For they eat the brea wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
[18]But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
[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]Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life.
[24]Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
[25]Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
[26]Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
[27]Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
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