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

¶ My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments:

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

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

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

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

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

So shalt thou find grace and good favour 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 the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto 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 shall 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 the LORD and depart from evil.

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

It shall be medicine to thy navel and marrow to thy bones.

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

Honour the LORD with thy substance and with the firstfruits 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 presses shall burst out 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 the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:

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

For the LORD chastens whom he loves and delights in, even as a father to his son.

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

¶ Blessed is the man that has found wisdom and who brings to light intelligence,

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

for the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver and the fruits thereof more 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 precious stones, and all the things thou canst desire are not 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 and in her left hand riches and honour.

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 those that lay hold upon her, and blessed is every one that retains her.

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

The LORD by wisdom has founded the earth; by intelligence has 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 are broken up, and the heavens drop down the dew.

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

¶ My son, do not let them 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 safely, 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.

Thou shall not be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation 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 thy confidence and shall 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.

¶ Do not withhold good from those 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 return tomorrow, and I will give it,” when you have it with you.

Do not say unto thy neighbour, Go and come again and tomorrow 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.

Do not devise evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwells securely by thee.

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

Do not sue a man without cause, if he has 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 oppressor 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 the LORD; but his secret is with the righteous.

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 the house of the wicked, but he shall bless the habitation of the just.

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 scorns the scorners; but he gives grace unto the humble.

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.