1 H ear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding;

Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.

2 F or I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.

For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.

3 W hen I was my father’s son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,

For, a son I have been to my father -- tender, And an only one before my mother.

4 H e also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.

And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.

5 G et wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

6 D o not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.

Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

7 W isdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

The first thing wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

8 E xalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.

Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

9 S he will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.

10 H ear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many.

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life multiplied to thee.

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.

In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.

12 W hen you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble.

In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

13 T ake firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life.

Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she thy life.

14 D o not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil.

Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.

15 A void it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.

Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.

16 F or they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.

For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not to stumble.

17 F or they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.

18 B ut the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.

And the path of the righteous as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

19 T he way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble.

The way of the wicked as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

20 M y son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings.

My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,

21 D o not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart;

Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.

22 F or they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.

For life they to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.

23 K eep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.

Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it the outgoings of life.

24 P ut away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you.

Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,

25 L et your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you.

Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 P onder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established.

Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways established.

27 D o not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil.

Incline not the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!