Listen when your father teaches you
1Children, you must listen
to your father when he teaches you.
Listen so that you can know what to do
2because the things that I teach you
are good. Keep on doing what I tell you.
3I was also a child long ago.
I was young and my parents loved me.
4My father taught me and said:
‘Remember what I tell you.
Do what I teach you and you will live.
5You must get wisdom and understanding.
Don't forget it and
don't stop doing what I tell you.
6Hold on to wisdom
and she will take care of you.
Love her and she will protect you
and keep you safe.
7If you really want to be clever,
then you must get wisdom.
It is the most important thing that you can get.
8If you love wisdom,
she will make you important
and all the people will respect you.
9Wisdom will put
a laurel-crown on your head.
It will be like the crown
of a king on your head.’
10My child, you must listen to me.
You must do what I tell you,
and then you will have a long and happy life.
11I have taught you what wisdom is,
and I have shown you the right way to live.
12If you do what I have told you,
nothing will stand in your way
and when you run, you will not fall.
13You must hold on to everything
that I teach you, and never let it go.
Do what I have told you because
then you will have true_life.
14Don't go the way of
people who live in the wrong way,
and don't do the bad things they do.
15Never go that way. Don't walk with them.
Turn away from sin and walk the right way.
16Those people can not sleep
if they have not done something wrong.
They stay awake
if they have not hurt someone.
17They like doing wrong and hurting people,
and they do it every day like eating and drinking.
18But the path of
the people who live in the right way
is like the morning sun.
It becomes brighter and clearer
until full daylight.
19The path of people who do wrong
is like darkness,
and they can't see what makes them fall.
20My child, you must listen
when I speak, and you must hear what I say.
21You must always remember what I told you,
and you must never forget it,
22because it gives life to
everyone who obeys it.
It will also keep your body and spirit healthy.
23Be very careful what you think,
because if you think the right things,
you will live in the right way.
24Don't tell any lies.
Never say anything that is not_true.
25You must look straight ahead.
You must know where you go.
26Be careful what you do
and always do what is right.
27Don't turn away
from the right way of living.
Stay away from the path of sinful people.
