Chapter Text
4:1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
4:2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
4:3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
4:4 When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue.
4:5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
4:6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
4:7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
4:8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
4:9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
4:10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
4:11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
4:12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
4:13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
4:14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
4:15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
4:16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
4:17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
4:18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
4:19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
4:20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
4:21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
4:22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
4:23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
4:24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
4:25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
4:26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
4:27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.