Chapter 4

The wiseman exhorteth others by his own example to seek wisdom. ℣.14 to decline from the wicked, and to imitate the just, ℣.23 to guide well the heart, mouth, and feet.

1. 1

   Children hear ye the father's discipline, and attend that you may know prudence.

2. 2

   I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.

3. 3

   For I also was the son of my father, tender and as the only-begotten in my mother's sight:

4. 4

   and he taught me, & said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my precepts, and thou shalt live.

5. 5

   Possess wisdom, possess prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6. 6

   Leave her not, and she will keep thee: love her, and she will preserve thee.

7. 7

   The beginning of wisdom, possess wisdom, and in all thy possession purchase prudence:

8. 8

   take her quickly, and she will exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified of her, when thou shalt embrace her.

9. 9

   She will give to thy head increase of graces, and with a noble crown she will protect thee.

10. 10

    Hear my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.

11. 11

    The way of wisdom I will shew to thee, I will lead thee by the paths of equity.

12. 12

    Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and running thou shalt not have a stumbling block.

13. 13

    Hold discipline, leave it not: keep it, because the same is thy life.

14. 14

    Be not delighted in the paths of the impious, neither let the way of the evil please thee.

15. 15

    Fly from it, neither pass thou by it: go aside, and forsake it.

16. 16

    For they sleep not unless they have done ill: and they take no sleep unless they supplant.

17. 17

    They eat the bread of impiety, and drink the wine of iniquity.

18. 18

    But the path of the just, as shining light, proceedeth even to perfect day.

19. 19

    The way of the impious is darksome: they know not where they fall.

20. 20

    My son hear my words, and incline thine ear to my sayings.

21. 21

    Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart.

22. 22

    For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.

23. 23

    With all guard keep thy heart, because life proceedeth from it.

24. 24

    Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.

25. 25

    Let thine eyes see right things, & let thine eye-lids go before thy steps.

26. 26

    Direct the path to thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.

27. 27

    Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For our 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 right, and thy ways he will bring forward in peace.