<p class="poetry">Counsel and sound wisdom belong to me;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I possess understanding and might.p>

<p class="poetry">But the one who listens<n id="1" /> to me will live in security,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and will be at ease<n id="3" /> from the dread of harm.p>

<p class="poetry">So now, children,<n id="1" /> listen to me;p> <p class="poetry">do not turn aside from the words I speak.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">So now, sons,<n id="1" /> listen to me,p> <p class="poetry">and pay attention to the words I speak.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;So now, children,<n id="1" /> listen to me;p> <p class="poetry">blessed are those who keep my ways.p>

<p class="poetry">Give me your heart, my son,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and let your eyes observe my ways;p>

<p class="poetry">Surely<n id="1" /> I am more brutish<n id="2" /> than any other human being,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and I do not have human understanding;<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">he taught me, and he said to me:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Let your heart lay hold of my words;p> <p class="poetry">keep my commands so that<n id="1" /> you will live.p>

<p class="poetry">Blessed is the one<n id="1" /> who listens to me,p> <p class="poetry">watching<n id="2" /> at my doors day by day,p> <p class="poetry">waiting<n id="3" /> beside my doorway.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Do not say, &#8220;I will do to him just as he has done to me;p> <p class="poetry">I will pay him back<n id="1" /> according to what he has done.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Remove falsehood and lies<n id="1" /> far from me;p> <p class="poetry">do not give me poverty or riches,p> <p class="poetry">feed me with my allotted portion<n id="2" /> of bread,<n id="3" />p>