1 M y son, do not forget my teaching. Let your heart keep my words.

My son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;

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

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

3 D o not let kindness and truth leave you. Tie them around your neck. Write them upon your heart.

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

4 S o you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man.

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

5 T rust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding.

Lean 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.

6 A gree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight.

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

7 D o not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from what is sinful.

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

8 I t will be healing to your body and medicine to your bones.

It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.

9 H onor the Lord with your riches, and with the first of all you grow.

Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency and with the firstfruits of all your income;

10 T hen your store-houses will be filled with many good things and your barrels will flow over with new wine.

So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.

11 M y son, listen when the Lord punishes you. Do not give up when He tells you what you must do.

My 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,

12 T he Lord punishes everyone He loves. He whips every son He receives.

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

13 H appy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding.

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

14 F or it is better than getting silver and fine gold.

For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold.

15 S he is worth more than stones of great worth. Nothing you can wish for compares with her.

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

16 L ong life is in her right hand. Riches and honor are in her left hand.

Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 H er ways are pleasing, and all her paths are peace.

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

18 S he is a tree of life to those who take hold of her. Happy are all who hold her near.

She 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.

19 T he Lord built the earth by wisdom. He built the heavens by understanding.

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

20 B y what He knows, the seas were broken up and water falls from the sky.

By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies distill the dew.

21 M y son, do not allow them to leave your eyes. Keep perfect wisdom and careful thinking.

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

22 A nd they will be life to your soul and a chain of beauty to your neck.

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

23 T hen you will be safe as you walk on your way, and your foot will not trip.

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

24 Y ou will not be afraid when you lie down. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.

25 D o not be afraid of fear that comes all at once. And do not be afraid of the storm of the sinful when it comes.

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

26 F or the Lord will be your trust. He will keep your foot from being caught.

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

27 D o not keep good from those who should have it, when it is in your power to do it.

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

28 D o not say to your neighbor, “Go, and return tomorrow, and I will give it,” when you have it with you.

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

29 D o not plan for your neighbor to be hurt, while he trusts you enough to live beside you.

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

30 D o not fight with a man for no reason, when he has done you no wrong.

Contend not with a man for no reason—when he has done you no wrong.

31 D o not be jealous of a man who hurts others, and do not choose any of his ways.

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

32 F or the bad man is hated by the Lord, but He is near to those who are right with Him.

For 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).

33 T he punishment of the Lord is on the house of the sinful, but He makes good come to the house of those who are right with Him.

The 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.

34 G od makes fun of those who make fun of the truth but gives loving-favor to those who have no pride.

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

35 H onor will be given to the wise, but shame will be given to fools.

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