| Chapter 4 |
1 |
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence. --
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2 |
I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law. --
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3 |
For I also was my father's son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother: --
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4 |
And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live. --
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5 |
Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth. --
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6 |
Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee. --
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7 |
The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence. --
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8 |
Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her. --
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9 |
She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown. --
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10 |
Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee. --
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11 |
I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity: --
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12 |
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock. --
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13 |
Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life. --
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14 |
Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee. --
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15 |
Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it. --
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16 |
For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall. --
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17 |
They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity. --
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18 |
But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day. --
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19 |
The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall. --
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20 |
My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings. --
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21 |
Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart: --
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22 |
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh. --
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23 |
With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it. --
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24 |
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee. --
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25 |
Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps. --
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26 |
Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established. --
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27 |
Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace. --
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