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

My son, forget not my teaching, and let thy heart observe 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 life, and peace shall they add to thee.

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

Let not loving-kindness and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

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

and thou shalt find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

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

Confide in Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own intelligence;

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

in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make plain thy paths.

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

Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:

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

it shall be health for thy navel, and moisture for thy bones.

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

Honour Jehovah with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase;

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

so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.

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

My son, despise not the instruction of Jehovah, neither be weary of his chastisement;

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

for whom Jehovah loveth he chasteneth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

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

Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

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

For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver, and her revenue than fine gold.

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

She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not equal unto her.

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

Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand riches and honour.

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

Her ways are ways 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 them that lay hold upon her; and happy is he that retaineth her.

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

Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he 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 drop down the dew.

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

My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion:

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

so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace unto thy neck.

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

Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble;

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

when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, but thou shalt lie down and thy 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 fear, neither of the destruction of the wicked, when it cometh;

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

for Jehovah shall be thy confidence, and he will keep thy foot from being taken.

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

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

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

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.

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

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

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

Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

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

Envy not the man of violence, 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 is an abomination to Jehovah; but his secret is with the upright.

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

The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

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

He indeed scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

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

The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of the foolish.