1My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
2For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.
3Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
4And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
5Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
6In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
7Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
8Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
9Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
10And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
11Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
12For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
13O the happiness of a man [who] hath found wisdom, And of a man [who] bringeth forth understanding.
14For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold — her increase.
15Precious she [is] above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.
16Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth and honour.
17Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace.
18A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
19Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
20By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.
21My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
22And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
24If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
25Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
26For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
27Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand [is] toward God to do [it].
28Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.
29Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.
30Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.
31Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
32For an abomination to Jehovah [is] the perverted, And with the upright [is] His secret counsel.
33The curse of Jehovah [is] in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.
34If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
35Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!