1 O sons, hear the teaching of a father. Listen so you may get understanding.

Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding:

2 F or I give you good teaching. Do not turn away from it.

For I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.

3 W hen I was a much loved and only son of my mother and father,

For I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

4 h e taught me, saying, “Hold my words close to your heart. Keep my teachings and live.

And he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live;

5 G et wisdom and understanding. Do not forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.

Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

6 D o not leave her alone, and she will keep you safe. Love her, and she will watch over you.

Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.

7 T he beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom! And with all you have gotten, get understanding.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

8 H onor her and she will honor you. She will honor you if you hold her to your heart.

Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

9 S he will put on your head a crown of loving-favor and beauty.”

She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of beauty will she deliver to thee.

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

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

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

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

12 W hen you walk, your steps will not be stopped. If you run, you will not trip.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 T ake hold of teaching. Do not let go. Watch over her, for she is your life.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: Keep her; for she is thy life.

14 D o not go on the path of the sinful. Do not walk in the way of bad men.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.

15 S tay away from it. Do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.

16 F or they cannot sleep unless they do wrong. They are robbed of sleep unless they make someone fall.

For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

17 F or they eat the bread of sin, and drink the wine of wrong-doing.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

18 B ut the way of those who are right is like the early morning light. It shines brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

19 T he way of the sinful is like darkness. They do not know what they trip over.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.

20 M y son, listen to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21 D o not let them leave your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.

Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart.

22 F or they are life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.

For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

23 K eep your heart pure for out of it are the important things of life.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

24 P ut false speaking away from you. Put bad talk far from you.

Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

25 L et your eyes look straight in front of you, and keep looking at what is in front of you.

Let thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 W atch the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure.

Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.

27 D o not turn to the right or to the left. Turn your foot away from sin.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil.