Admonition to Follow Righteousness and Avoid Wickedness79
4:1 Listen, children,1
to a father’s instruction;2
and pay attention so that you might know3
understanding.
4:2 Because I give4
you sound instruction,5
do not forsake my teaching.
4:3 When I was a son to my father,6
tender, and an only child7
before my mother,
4:4 he taught me, and he said to me,
“Let your heart lay hold of my words;
keep my commands and you shall live.8
4:5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding;
do not forget and do not turn aside from the words of my mouth.9
4:6 Do not forsake her,10
and she will protect you;
love her, and she will guard you.
4:7 Wisdom is supreme;11
acquire wisdom;
and with all that you acquire,12
acquire understanding.13
4:8 Esteem her highly14
and she will exalt you;
she will honor you when you embrace her.
4:9 She will place on your head a wreath of grace,15
she will deliver16
to you a crown of splendor.” 17
4:10 Listen, my child,18
and accept my words,
and the years of your life will be many.19
4:11 I guide you20
in the way of wisdom
and I will lead you in straight paths.21
4:12 When you walk your steps22
will not be hampered;23
and when you run24
you will not stumble.
4:13 Hold on to instruction,25
do not let it go;
protect it26
because it is your life.
4:14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
nor walk27
in the way of those who are evil.
4:15 Avoid it, do not go over it;
turn away from it, and cross over.28
4:16 For they do not sleep until they cause harm,29
and they are robbed of sleep30
until they make someone fall.31
4:17 For they eat the bread32
of wickedness,33
and the wine of violence they drink.
4:18 But the path of the righteous is like the
bright morning light,34
growing lighter and lighter35
until full day.36
4:19 The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness;37
they do not know what causes them to stumble.38
4:20 My child,39
pay attention to my words,
incline your ear40
to my sayings.
4:21 Do not let them depart41
from your sight,
guard42
them within your heart;43
4:22 for they are life to those who find them
and healing to one’s entire body.44
4:23 More than any act of guarding,45
guard your heart,
for from it are the sources46
of life.
4:24 Remove crookedness47
from your mouth;48
keep deviousness far from your lips.49
4:25 Let your eyes look steadfastly50
in front of you
and let your eyelids51
look straight before you.
4:26 Make level52
the path for your feet,53
and let all your ways be directed aright.54
4:27 Do not turn55
to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.56