1 M y son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,

My son, forget not my law or teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;

2 F or length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.

For length of days and years of a life and tranquility, these shall they add to you.

3 L et not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,

Let not mercy and kindness and truth forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.

4 A nd find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.

So shall you find favor, good understanding, and high esteem in the sight of God and man.

5 T rust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.

6 I n all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.

In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.

7 B e not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.

Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn away from evil.

8 H ealing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.

It shall be health to your nerves and sinews, and marrow and moistening to your bones.

9 H onour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;

Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency and with the firstfruits of all your income;

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

So shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.

11 C hastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,

My son, do not despise or shrink from the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of or impatient about or loathe or abhor His reproof,

12 F or whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.

For whom the Lord loves He corrects, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

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

Happy (blessed, fortunate, enviable) is the man who finds skillful and godly Wisdom, and the man who gets understanding,

14 F or better her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase.

For the gaining of it is better than the gaining of silver, and the profit of it better than fine gold.

15 P recious she above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.

Skillful and godly Wisdom is more precious than rubies; and nothing you can wish for is to be compared to her.

16 L ength of days in her right hand, In her left wealth and honour.

Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand are riches and honor.

17 H er ways ways of pleasantness, And all her paths peace.

Her ways are highways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

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

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her; and happy (blessed, fortunate, to be envied) is everyone who holds her fast.

19 J ehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.

The Lord by skillful and godly Wisdom has founded the earth; by understanding He has established the heavens.

20 B y His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.

By His knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies distill the dew.

21 M y son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,

My son, let them not escape from your sight, but keep sound and godly Wisdom and discretion,

22 A nd they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

And they will be life to your inner self, and a gracious ornament to your neck (your outer self).

23 T hen thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.

Then you will walk in your way securely and in confident trust, and you shall not dash your foot or stumble.

24 I f thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.

When you lie down, you shall not be afraid; yes, you shall lie down, and your sleep shall be sweet.

25 B e not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.

Be not afraid of sudden terror and panic, nor of the stormy blast or the storm and ruin of the wicked when it comes,

26 F or Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.

For the Lord shall be your confidence, firm and strong, and shall keep your foot from being caught.

27 W ithhold not good from its owners, When thy hand toward God to do.

Withhold not good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

28 S ay not thou to thy friend, `Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.

Do not say to your neighbor, Go, and come again; and tomorrow I will give it—when you have it with you.

29 D evise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.

Do not contrive or dig up or cultivate evil against your neighbor, who dwells trustingly and confidently beside you.

30 S trive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.

Contend not with a man for no reason—when he has done you no wrong.

31 B e not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

Do not resentfully envy and be jealous of an unscrupulous, grasping man, and choose none of his ways.

32 F or an abomination to Jehovah the perverted, And with the upright His secret counsel.

For the perverse are an abomination to the Lord; but His confidential communion and secret counsel are with the righteous (those who are upright and in right standing with Him).

33 T he curse of Jehovah in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.

The curse of the Lord is in and on the house of the wicked, but He declares blessed (joyful and favored with blessings) the home of the just and consistently righteous.

34 I f the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.

Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, yet He gives His undeserved favor to the low, the humble, and the afflicted.

35 H onour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!

The wise shall inherit glory (all honor and good) but shame is the highest rank conferred on fools.