1 L isten, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

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

2 f or I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.

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

3 F or I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

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

4 H e taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, 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. Get understanding. Don’t forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.

Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

6 D on’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

7 W isdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

The first thing wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

8 E steem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.

Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

9 S he will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

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

10 L isten, my son, and receive my sayings. 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 in straight paths.

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

12 W hen you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

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

13 T ake firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

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

14 D on’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.

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

15 A void it, and don’t 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 don’t sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, 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 wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

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

18 B ut the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more 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 wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.

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

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

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

21 L et them not depart from 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 health to their whole body.

For life they to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.

23 K eep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

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

24 P ut away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,

25 L et your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

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

26 M ake the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

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

27 D on’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.

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