1 M y son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;

¶ My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments:

2 F or length of days and years of a life and tranquility, these shall they add to you.

For they shall add length of days and long life and peace unto thee.

3 L et not mercy and kindness and truth forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck; write them upon the tablet of thine heart:

4 S o shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

So shalt thou find grace and good favour in the sight of God and man.

5 L ean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6 I n all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

7 B e not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn away from evil.

¶ Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.

8 I t shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.

It shall be medicine to thy navel and marrow to thy bones.

9 H onor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency and with the firstfruits of all your income;

Honour the LORD with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

10 S o shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

11 M y son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof,

My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

12 F or whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

For the LORD chastens whom he loves and delights in, even as a father to his son.

13 H appy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding,

¶ Blessed is the man that has found wisdom and who brings to light intelligence,

14 F or the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold.

for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the fruits thereof more than fine gold.

15 S killful and godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her.

She is more precious than precious stones, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.

16 L ength of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor.

Length of days is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour.

17 H er ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

18 S he is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast.

She is a tree of life to those that lay hold upon her, and blessed is every one that retains her.

19 T he Lord by skillful and godly Wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding He has established the heavens.

The LORD by wisdom has founded the earth; by intelligence has he established the heavens.

20 B y His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies distill the dew.

By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the heavens drop down the dew.

21 M y son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound and godly Wisdom and discretion,

¶ My son, do not let them depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion,

22 A nd they will be life to your inner self, and a gracious ornament to your neck (your outer self).

so shall they be life unto thy soul and grace to thy neck.

23 T hen you will walk in your way securely and in confident trust, and you shall not dash your foot or stumble.

Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

24 W hen you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

25 B e not afraid of sudden terror and panic, nor of the stormy blast or the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes,

Thou shall not be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it comes.

26 F or the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught.

For the LORD shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy foot from being taken.

27 W ithhold not good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

¶ Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

28 D o not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it—when you have it with you.

Do not say unto thy neighbour, Go and come again and tomorrow I will give when thou hast it by thee.

29 D o not contrive or dig up or cultivate evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly and confidently beside you.

Do not devise evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwells securely by thee.

30 C ontend not with a man for no reason—when he has done you no wrong.

Do not sue a man without cause, if he has done thee no harm.

31 D o not resentfully envy and be jealous of an unscrupulous, grasping man, and choose none of his ways.

Envy thou not the oppressor and choose none of his ways.

32 F or the perverse are an abomination to the Lord; but His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him).

For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD; but his secret is with the righteous.

33 T he curse of the Lord is in and on the house of the wicked, but He declares blessed (joyful and favored with blessings) the home of the just and consistently righteous.

The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked, but he shall bless the habitation of the just.

34 T hough He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet He gives His undeserved favor to the low, the humble, and the afflicted.

Surely he scorns the scorners; but he gives grace unto the humble.

35 T he wise shall inherit glory (all honor and good) but shame is the highest rank conferred on fools.

The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of fools.