¹Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; ²For I give you sound teaching; ³When I was a son to my father, ⁴he taught me and said, ⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; ⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; ⁷Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. ⁸Prize her, and she will exalt you; ⁹She will set a garland of grace on your head; ¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my words, ¹¹I will guide you in the way of wisdom; ¹²When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; ¹³Hold on to instruction; do not let go. ¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked ¹⁵Avoid it; do not travel on it. ¹⁶For they cannot sleep ¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness ¹⁸The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, ¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; ²⁰My son, pay attention to my words; ²¹Do not lose sight of them; ²²For they are life to those who find them, ²³Guard your heart with all diligence, ²⁴Put away deception from your mouth; ²⁵Let your eyes look forward; ²⁶Make a level path for your feet, ²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left;