⁷ Give ear to me then, my sons, and do not put away my words from you.

¹ Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:

²¹ My son, keep good sense, and do not let wise purpose go from your eyes.

²¹ Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.

²⁴ So now, my sons, give ear to me; give attention to the sayings of my mouth;

³² Give ear to me then, my sons: for happy are those who keep my ways.

³³ Take my teaching and be wise; do not let it go.

³⁴ Happy is the man who gives ear to me, watching at my doors day by day, keeping his place by the pillars of my house.

³⁵ For whoever gets me gets life, and grace from the Lord will come to him.

³⁶ But he who does evil to me, does wrong to his soul: all my haters are in love with death.

¹⁷ Let your ear be bent down for hearing my words, and let your heart give thought to knowledge.

¹⁸ For it is a delight to keep them in your heart, to have them ready on your lips.

¹⁹ So that your faith may be in the Lord, I have made them clear to you this day, even to you.

²⁰ Have I not put in writing for you thirty sayings, with wise suggestions and knowledge,

²¹ To make you see how certain are true words, so that you may give a true answer to those who put questions to you?

²⁵ See that you give ear to his voice which comes to you. For if those whose ears were shut to the voice which came to them on earth did not go free from punishment, what chance have we of going free if we give no attention to him whose voice comes from heaven?