A Father’s Instruction 1 ULT Hear, sons, the instruction of a father, and listen attentively in order to know understanding. BSB BSB: Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
2 ULT For I give good teaching to you; do not forsake my law. BSB BSB: For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
3 ULT When I was a son of my father, the tender and only one to the face of my mother, BSB BSB: When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
4 ULT then he taught me and said to me,“Let your heart grasp my words; keep my commandments and live! BSB BSB: he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
5 ULT Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding; do not forget and do not veer from the sayings of my mouth. BSB BSB: Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
6 ULT Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you. BSB BSB: Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 ULT Wisdom{ is} first. Acquire wisdom! And with all your acquisition acquire understanding! BSB BSB: Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
8 ULT Cherish her, and she will raise you up; she will honor you when you embrace her. BSB BSB: Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 ULT She will give for your head a garland of grace;{ with} a crown of splendor she will cover you.” BSB BSB: She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 ULT Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply for you the years of life. BSB BSB: Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
11 ULT In the way of wisdom I taught you; I caused you to tread in the tracks of uprightness. BSB BSB: I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
12 ULT In your walking, your step will not be restricted; and if you run, you will not stumble. BSB BSB: When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 ULT Grasp on to instruction, do not let go; guard it, for it{ is} your life. BSB BSB: Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 ULT On the path of wicked ones do not go, and do not advance on the way of evil ones. BSB BSB: Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 ULT Avoid it, do not pass through it; veer from it and pass on! BSB BSB: Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
16 ULT For they do not sleep if they do not do evil and their sleep is robbed if they do not cause stumbling. BSB BSB: For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
17 ULT For they eat the bread of wickedness and the wine of violent{ acts}, they drink. BSB BSB: For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 ULT But the path of the righteous ones{ is} like the light of brightness, going and shining until the day{ is} established. BSB BSB: The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 ULT The way of the wicked{ is} like the darkness; they do not know on what they stumble. BSB BSB: But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 ULT My son, listen attentively to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. BSB BSB: My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 ULT Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart. BSB BSB: Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
22 ULT For they{ are} life to those who find them and healing to all of his flesh. BSB BSB: For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
23 ULT Guard your heart more than all{ that} is protected, for from it{ are} the sources of life. BSB BSB: Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
24 ULT Remove from you perversity of mouth, and the deviousness of lips put far away from you. BSB BSB: Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
25 ULT Cause your eyes to gaze to the front, and cause your eyelids to be straight in front of you. BSB BSB: Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26 ULT Make level the track of your foot and all your ways will be firm. BSB BSB: Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27 ULT Do not veer right or left; cause your foot to turn away from evil. BSB BSB: Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.