For I giveyou soundteaching;Do not abandonmy instruction.
"As for you, my sonSolomon,knowthe Godof your father,and serveHim with a wholeheartand a willingmind;for the LORDsearchesallhearts,and understandseveryintentof the thoughts.Ifyou seekHim, He will let you findHim; but ifyou forsakeHim, He will rejectyou forever.
"But ifyou turnawayand forsakeMy statutesand My commandmentswhichI have setbeforeyou, and goand serveothergodsand worshipthem,
"For you have said,'My teachingis pure,And I aminnocentin your eyes.'
"My wordsare [from] the uprightnessof my heart,And my lipsspeakknowledgesincerely.
They almostdestroyedme on earth,But as for me, I did not forsakeYour precepts.
My son,do not forgetmy teaching,But let your heartkeepmy commandments;
"We have obeyedthe voiceof Jonadabthe sonof Rechab,our father,in allthat he commandedus, not to drinkwineallour days,we, our wives,our sonsor our daughters,
"Let my teachingdropas the rain,My speechdistillas the dew,As the dropletson the freshgrassAnd as the showerson the herb.
In pointingout these thingsto the brethren,you will be a goodservantof ChristJesus,[constantly] nourishedon the wordsof the faithand of the sounddoctrinewhichyou have been following.
holding fastthe faithfulwordwhich is in accordancewith the teaching,sothat he will be ablebothto exhortin sounddoctrineand to refutethosewho contradict.
