לְכוּ בָנִים שִׁמְעוּ לִי יִרְאַת ה' אֲלַמֶּדְכֶם: מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָפֵץ חַיִּים אֹהֵב יָמִים לִרְאוֹת טוֹב: נְצֹר לְשׁוֹנְךָ מֵרָע וּשְׂפָתֶיךָ מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה: סוּר מֵרָע וַעֲשֵׂה טוֹב בַּקֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם וְרָדְפֵהוּ: עֵינֵי ה' אֶל צַדִּיקִים וְאָזְנָיו אֶל שַׁוְעָתָם: פְּנֵי ה' בְּעֹשֵׂי רָע לְהַכְרִית מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָם: צָעֲקוּ וַה' שָׁמֵעַ וּמִכָּל צָרוֹתָם הִצִּילָם: קָרוֹב ה' לְנִשְׁבְּרֵי לֵב וְאֶת דַּכְּאֵי רוּחַ יוֹשִׁיעַ: רַבּוֹת רָעוֹת צַדִּיק וּמִכֻּלָּם יַצִּילֶנּוּ ה':
Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you what it is to fear God. Who is the one who is eager for life, who desires years of good fortune? Guard your tongue from evil, your lips from deceitful speech. Shun evil and do good, seek amity and pursue it. The eyes of God are on the righteous, God's ears attentive to their cry. The face of God is set against evildoers, to erase their names from the earth. They cry out, and God hears, and saves them from all their troubles. God is close to the brokenhearted; God delivers those crushed in spirit. Though the misfortunes of the righteous be many, God will save the righteous from them all.
[JPS translation. Edited for gender neutrality]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. Who are the children to whom this is addressed? Why is it addressed to them?
2. Why do the righteous cry out to God? What is the connection between suffering and merit?
3. How do we protect ourselves from evil?
Time Period: Biblical (early ancestors to 165 BCE)