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²³Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely,

And thou shalt not dash thy foot.

²⁴When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid;

Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

 

²⁵Be not afraid of sudden terror,

Neither of the destruction of the wicked, when it cometh;

²⁶For the Lord will be thy confidence,

And will keep thy foot from being caught.

 

²⁷Withhold not good from him to whom it is due,

When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

²⁸Say not unto thy neighbour: 'Go, and come again,

And to-morrow I will give'; when thou hast it by thee.

 

²⁹Devise not evil against thy neighbour,

Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

³⁰Strive not with a man without cause,

If he have done thee no harm.

 

³¹Envy thou not the man of violence,

And choose none of his ways.

³²For the perverse is an abomination to the Lord;

But His counsel is with the upright.

 

³³The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked;

But He blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

³⁴If it concerneth the scorners, He scorneth them,

But unto the humble He giveth grace.

³⁵The wise shall inherit honour;

But as for the fools, they carry away shame.

4 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father,

And attend to know understanding.

²For I give you good doctrine;

Forsake ye not my teaching.

³For I was a son unto my father,

Tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.

⁴And he taught me, and said unto me:

'Let thy heart hold fast my words,

Keep my commandments, and live;

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding;

Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

⁶Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee;

Love her, and she will keep thee.

⁷The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom;

Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

⁸Extol her, and she will exalt thee;

She will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

⁹She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace;

A crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'

¹⁰Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;

And the years of thy life shall be many.

¹¹I have taught thee in the way of wisdom;

I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

¹²When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened;

And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go;

Keep her, for she is thy life.

 

¹⁴Enter not into the path of the wicked,

And walk not in the way of evil men.

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