1My son, mine instruction, do not thou forget, and, my commandment, let thy heart observe;
2For, length of days and years of life, and blessedness, shall they add to thee.
3Lovingkindness and faithfulness, let them not forsake thee,—bind them, upon thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:
4So find thou favour and good repute, in the eyes of God and man.
5Trust thou in Yahweh, with all thy heart, and, unto thine own understanding, do not lean:
6In all thy ways, acknowledge him, and, he, will make straight thy paths.
7Do not become wise in thine own eyes, revere Yahweh, and avoid evil:
8Healing, shall it be to thy body, and refreshing, to thy bones.
9Honour thou Yahweh, with thy substance, and with the firstfruit of all thine increase;
10So shall thy storehouses be filled with plenty, and, with new wine, shall thy vats overflow.
11The, chastening of Yahweh, my son, do not reject, nor loathe his rebuke;
12For, whom Yahweh loveth, he correcteth, he causeth pain to the son in whom he delighteth.
13How happy the man who hath found wisdom, and the man who draweth forth understanding,
14For better is her merchandise, than the merchandise of silver, yea, than gold, her increase;
15More precious, is she, than corals, yea, none of thy delightful things, doth equal her:
16Length of days, is in her right hand, in her left, are riches and honour;
17Her ways, are ways of pleasantness, and, all her paths, are peace;
18A tree of life, is she, to them who secure her,—and, they who hold her fast, are every one to be pronounced happy.
19Yahweh, in wisdom, founded the earth, establishing the heavens with understanding;
20By his knowledge, the resounding deeps were burst open, and, the skies, drop down dew.
21My son, let them not depart from thine eyes, guard thou counsel, and purpose:
22So shall they become life to thy soul, and an adorning to thy neck;
23Then, shalt thou walk securely in thy way, and, thy foot, shall not stumble;
24When thou sittest down, thou shalt have no dread, yea thou shalt lie down, and sweet shall be thy sleep.
25Be not thou afraid of sudden dread, nor of the desolation of the lawless, when it cometh.
26For, Yahweh, will be in all thy ways, and will keep thy foot from the snare.
27Withhold not good from them who ask it, when it is in power of thy hand to do it:
28Do not say to thy neighbour, Go and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.
29Devise not against thy neighbour an injury, seeing that, he, dwelleth securely by thee.
30Contend not with a man without cause, if he hath dealt thee no wrong.
31Do not thou envy the man of violence, neither choose thou any of his ways;
32For, an abomination to Yahweh, is the tortuous man, but, with the upright, he is intimate.
33The curse of Yahweh, is in the house of the lawless one, but, the home of the righteous, he blesseth.
34Though at scoffers he scoffeth, yet, to the humbled, he granteth favour.
35Honour, shall the wise inherit,—but, as for dullards, shame shall carry them away.