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

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

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

For length of days and years, Life and peace they do 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 on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,

4 S o you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes 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 trust in your own understanding.

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

6 A gree with Him in all your ways, 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 what is sinful.

Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.

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

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

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

Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning 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.

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

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

Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with 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 He is pleased with.

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

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

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

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

15 S he is worth more than stones of great worth. Nothing you can wish for 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. Riches and honor are in her left hand.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And they are life to 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 thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.

24 Y ou will not be afraid when you lie down. 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 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, And 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 is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.

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 its owners, When thy hand toward God to do.

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

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

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

31 D o not be jealous of a man who hurts others, 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 bad man is hated by the Lord, but He is near to those who are right with Him.

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

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

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

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

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

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