1 M y son, do not forget my 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 life And peace they will add to you.

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

3 D o not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.

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

4 S o you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.

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

5 T rust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

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

6 I n all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.

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

7 D o not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

8 I t will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones.

It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

9 H onor the Lord from your wealth And from the first of all your produce;

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

10 S o your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow 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 reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof,

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

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

For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

13 H ow blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

14 F or her profit is better than the profit of silver And her gain better than fine gold.

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

15 S he is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her.

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

16 L ong life is in her right hand; 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 pleasant ways 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 take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her.

19 T he Lord by wisdom founded the earth, By understanding He established the heavens.

The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.

20 B y His knowledge the deeps were broken up And the skies drip with dew.

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

21 M y son, let them not vanish from your sight; Keep sound wisdom and discretion,

My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

22 S o they will be life to your soul And adornment to your neck.

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

23 T hen you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble.

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

24 W hen you lie down, you will not be afraid; When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

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

25 D o not be afraid of sudden fear Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;

Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.

26 F or the Lord will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.

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

27 D o not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it.

Withhold not good from them 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 back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you.

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

29 D o not devise harm against your neighbor, While he lives securely beside you.

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

30 D o not contend with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.

Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

31 D o not envy a man of violence And do not choose any of his ways.

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

32 F or the devious are an abomination to the Lord; But He is intimate with the upright.

For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous.

33 T he curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

34 T hough He scoffs at the scoffers, Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.

Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

35 T he wise will inherit honor, But fools display dishonor.

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