Children, hearken to the discipline of the Father The Holy One, blessed be He.

For I gave you The prophet prophesies and speaks as an agent of the Holy One, blessed be He, and he is like His mouth.

For I was a son to my father Lest you say that Solomon hated people because he admonished them concerning robbery and immorality, something a person desires, he therefore states: I was a son, etc., a tender one and an only one, etc., that he loved me very much.

And he instructed me concerning that and he chastised me and said to me, “May your heart draw near to my words And since he chastened me with these words, therefore I admonish you concerning this (Rabbi Joseph Kara). Another explanation: For I was a son to my Father The prophet says, “I was a son to the Holy One, blessed be He, Who caused His spirit to rest upon me.” Now we find that the Holy One, blessed be He, called Solomon a son, for it is stated (II Sam. 7:14): “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to Me a son.”

a tender one and an only one before my mother Heb. לפני אמי, before my nation (אמתי) I am chosen and beloved like a tender and only son. Therefore, my father instructed me.

Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her Heb. אהבה, love her.

The beginning of wisdom [is to] acquire wisdom At the beginning of your wisdom, learn from others and acquire for yourself the tradition from the mouth of the teacher, and afterwards with all your possession acquire understanding. Concentrate on it by yourself to understand the reasons, thereby deriving one thing from another.

Search for her Heb. סלסלה search for her. Review it to examine it minutely, as in (Jer. 6:9): “as a vintager over the searchings (סלסלות)” who goes repeatedly through the vineyard and brings back his hand to search for the single grapes. In the expression of the Sages (Rosh Hashanah 26b), curls (מסלסל) his hair.

She will give your head a wreath of grace Heb. לוית חן, a wreath of grace, as in (1:9): “They are a wreath of grace (לוית חן) for your head.”

When you walk, your step will not be straightened One who does not spread out his legs is likely to fall.

Take fast hold of discipline, do not let it loose Grasp the Torah, as in (Gen. 21:18) “and grasp (והחזיקי) your hand onto him”; (Ex. 4:4) “and he stretched out his hand and grasped it (ויחזק).”

You shall not come in the way of the wicked, and do not walk [as translated,] do not walk, as in (Job 23:11), “My foot has held to His path,” and as in (Proverbs 14:15), “but a cunning man understands his steps.”

Avoid it Heb. פרע, put it to naught.

turn away from it Heb. שטה, turn away.

For they will not sleep They are unable to sleep.

But the way of the righteous is like the light of dawn which shines and illuminates from the first ray of dawn.

until the day is perfect Until midday, which is the brightest time of day.

The way of the wicked is like pitch darkness; they do not know on what they stumble Suddenly, an obstacle will come to them, and they will not know how to beware of it.

for those who find them Heb. למצאיהם, an expression of finding.

From every interdict From whatever the Torah commanded to beware of, guard your heart (from transgressing), regardless whether it is a minor sin or a grave sin.

for the issues of life [come] out of it For from even a minor one you shall have life and a great reward if you fulfill it—so did Rabbi Tanhuma expound.

Take crooked speech away from yourself Don’t do anything for which people will slander you and make their mouths crooked [when talking] about you.

crooked speech Heb. עקשות. This is an expression of עקום, crooked, as in (Job 9:20): “Though I was innocent, He would prove me perverse (ויעקשני),” and in the Mishnah (Hullin 3:3) “its teeth are crooked and twisted (עקושות).”

devious lips Crooked lips, that the people should not open their mouth wide [when talking] about you.

Let your eyes look forward Let them look to truth and uprightness.

and let your eyelids look straight ahead of you Let them look at what is upright, to straighten your way before you.

Weigh the path of your feet Weigh your way: the loss of a commandment against its reward and the reward of a sin against its loss, and then all your ways will be established.

Turn neither right nor left of the good weight.