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

My son, forget not my law; But let thy 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 life, And peace, will they add to thee.

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

Let not kindness and truth forsake thee: Bind them about thy neck; Write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

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

So shalt thou find favor and good understanding 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.

Trust in Jehovah with all thy heart, And lean not upon thine own understanding:

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

In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy 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 thine own eyes; Fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:

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

It will be health to thy navel, And marrow to thy bones.

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

Honor Jehovah with thy substance, And with the first-fruits of all thine increase:

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

So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, And thy vats shall overflow 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, despise not the chastening of Jehovah; Neither be weary of his reproof:

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

For whom Jehovah loveth he reproveth; Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

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

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, And the man that getteth 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 thereof than fine gold.

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

She is more precious than rubies: And none of the things thou canst desire are to be compared unto 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; In her left hand are riches and honor.

17 H er ways are pleasing, 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. Happy are all who hold her near.

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 built the earth by wisdom. He built the heavens by understanding.

Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding he established the heavens.

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

By his knowledge the depths were broken up, And the skies drop down 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 depart from thine eyes; Keep sound wisdom and discretion:

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

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

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

Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, And thy foot shall not stumble.

24 Y ou will not be afraid when you lie down. 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 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 fear, Neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh:

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

For Jehovah will be thy confidence, And will keep thy foot from being taken.

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 them to whom it is due, When it is in the power of thy 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.

Say not unto thy neighbor, Go, and come again, And to-morrow I will give; When thou hast it by thee.

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

Devise not evil against thy neighbor, Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

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

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

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

Envy thou not the man of violence, 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 is an abomination to Jehovah; But his friendship is with the upright.

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 Jehovah is in the house of the wicked; But he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

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

Surely he scoffeth at the scoffers; But he giveth grace unto the lowly.

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

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