American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father,And attend to know understanding:
For I give you good doctrine;Forsake ye not my {Or, teaching}law.
For I was a son unto my father,Tender and {Hebrew: an only one.}only beloved in the sight of my mother.
And he taught me, and said unto me:Let thy heart retain my words;Keep my commandments, and live;
And of which of you that is a father shall his son ask {Some ancient authorities omit a loaf, and he give him a stone? or.}a loaf, and he give him a stone? or a fish, and he for a fish give him a serpent?
Or if he shall ask an egg, will he give him a scorpion?
that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits,
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule {Or, at their hands}by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?
And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words, but do them not; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain.
And, lo, thou art unto them as {Or, a love-song}a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not.
I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
{Or, which is nothing else save that there &c.}which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of Christ.
For the time will come when they will not endure the {Greek: healthful.}sound {Or, teaching}doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;
and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.
And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for Jehovah must be exceeding magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.
And David the king said unto all the assembly, Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for Jehovah God.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;
and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.
And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.
My son, hear the instruction of thy father,And forsake not the {Or, teaching}law of thy mother:
And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but nurture them in the chastening and admonition of the Lord.
that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
having been reminded of the unfeigned faith that is in thee; which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and, I am persuaded, in thee also.
For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age,And apply thyself to that which their fathers have searched out
(For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing,Because our days upon earth are a shadow);
Shall not they teach thee, and tell thee,And utter words out of their heart?
But abide thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of {Greek: what persons.}whom thou hast learned them;
And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
{Or, Lest thou find the level &c. Or, Lest thou weigh carefully the path of life}So that she findeth not the level path of life:Her ways are unstable, and {Or, thou canest not know them}she knoweth it not.
Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me,And depart not from the words of my mouth.