A further exhortation to seek after wisdom.

 1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.
Audite, filii, disciplinam patris, et attendite ut sciatis prudentiam.

 2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
Donum bonum tribuam vobis : legem meam ne derelinquatis.

 3 For I also was my father's son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
Nam et ego filius fui patris mei, tenellus et unigenitus coram matre mea.

 4 And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
Et docebat me, atque dicebat : Suscipiat verba mea cor tuum; custodi praecepta mea, et vives.

 5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Posside sapientiam, posside prudentiam. Ne obliviscaris, neque declines a verbis oris mei.

 6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Ne dimittas eam, et custodiet te : dilige eam, et conservabit te.

 7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
Principium sapientiae, posside sapientiam; et in omni possessione tua acquire prudentiam.

 8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
Arripe illam, et exaltabit te; glorificaberis ab ea cum eam fueris amplexatus.

 9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
Dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum, et corona inclyta proteget te.

 10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
Audi, fili mi, et suscipe verba mea, ut multiplicentur tibi anni vitae.

 11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
Viam sapientiae monstrabo tibi; ducam te per semitas aequitatis;

 12 Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
quas cum ingressus fueris, non arctabuntur gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum.

 13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
Tene disciplinam, ne dimittas eam; custodi illam, quia ipsa est vita tua.

 14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
Ne delecteris in semitis impiorum, nec tibi placeat malorum via.

 15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
Fuge ab ea, nec transeas per illam; declina, et desere eam.

 16 For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
Non enim dormiunt nisi malefecerint, et rapitur somnus ab eis nisi supplantaverint.

 17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
Comedunt panem impietatis, et vinum iniquitatis bibunt.

 18 But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
Justorum autem semita quasi lux splendens procedit, et crescit usque ad perfectam diem.

 19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
Via impiorum tenebrosa; nesciunt ubi corruant.

 20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
Fili mi, ausculta sermones meos, et ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam.

 21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:
Ne recedant ab oculis tuis, custodi ea in medio cordis tui :

 22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.
vita enim sunt invenientibus ea, et universae carni sanitas.

 23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
Omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit.

 24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
Remove a te os pravum, et detrahentia labia sint procul a te.

 25 Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
Oculi tui recta videant, et palpebrae tuae praecedant gressus tuos.

 26 Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
Dirige semitam pedibus tuis, et omnes viae tuae stabilientur.

 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.
Ne declines ad dexteram neque ad sinistram; averte pedem tuum a malo : vias enim quae a dextris sunt novit Dominus : perversae vero sunt quae a sinistris sunt. Ipse autem rectos faciet cursus tuos, itinera autem tua in pace producet.