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

Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.

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

For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.

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

For, a son I have been to my father -- tender, And an only one before my mother.

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

And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.

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

Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings 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 doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

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

The first thing wisdom -- get wisdom, And 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 doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

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

She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.

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

Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life multiplied to thee.

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

In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.

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

In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

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

Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she thy life.

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

Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.

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

Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside 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 if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not to stumble.

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

For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.

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.

And the path of the righteous as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

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

The way of the wicked as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

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

My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,

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

Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve 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 life they to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.

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

Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it the outgoings of life.

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

Turn aside from thee a froward 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.

Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.

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

Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways established.

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

Incline not the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!