1 M y son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;

My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,

2 F or length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you.

For length of days and years, Life and peace they do 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 kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,

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

And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.

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

Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.

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

In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight 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 Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.

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

Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.

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

Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;

10 S o your barns will be filled with plenty And your vats will overflow with new wine.

And filled are thy barns plenty, And new wine thy presses break forth.

11 M y son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof,

Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,

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

For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.

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

O the happiness of a man hath found wisdom, And of a man bringeth forth understanding.

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

For better her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase.

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

Precious she above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.

16 L ong life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor.

Length of days in her right hand, In her left wealth and honour.

17 H er ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace.

Her ways ways of pleasantness, And all her paths peace.

18 S he is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.

A tree of life she to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her happy.

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

Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.

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

By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.

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

My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,

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

And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

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

Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.

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

If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.

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, And 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 Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.

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 its owners, When thy hand toward God to do.

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 thou to thy friend, `Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.

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

Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with 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 not done thee evil.

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

Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

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

For an abomination to Jehovah the perverted, And with the upright His secret counsel.

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 Jehovah in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.

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

If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.

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

Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!