1 H ear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.

¶ Hearken, ye sons, unto the chastening of the father, and pay attention that ye might know understanding.

2 F or good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.

For I give you good doctrine; do not forsake my law.

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

For I was my father’s son, tender and unique in the sight of my mother.

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

He taught me and said unto me, Sustain thine heart with my words; keep my commandments, and live.

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

Get wisdom, get understanding; forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6 F orsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee.

7 T he first thing wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

8 E xalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.

Grow in wisdom, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou hast embraced her.

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

She shall give to thine head an increase of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

10 H ear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life multiplied to thee.

Hear, O my son, and receive my words, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.

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

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have caused thee to walk in right paths.

12 I n thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

When thou goest in these paths, thy steps shall not be hindered; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 L ay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she thy life.

Take fast hold of chastening; do not let go; keep this; for it is thy life.

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

¶ Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

15 A void it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

16 F or they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not to stumble.

For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause someone to fall.

17 F or they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.

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

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

But the path of the just is as the light of the morning star, that shines more and more until the day is perfect.

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

The way of the wicked is as darkness; they do not know in what they stumble.

20 M y son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,

¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my words.

21 L et them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.

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

22 F or life they to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.

For they are life unto those that find them and medicine to all their flesh.

23 A bove every charge keep thy heart, For out of it the outgoings of life.

Above all else, guard thy heart; for out of it flows the issues of life.

24 T urn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,

Put away from thee the perversion of the mouth, and the deviation of the lips put far from thee.

25 T hine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Let thine eyes look upon that which is right, and let thine eyelids straighten thy path before thee.

26 P onder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways established.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

27 I ncline not the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.