1 My sonne, forget not thou my Lawe, but let thine heart keepe my commandements. 2 For they shall increase the length of thy dayes and the yeeres of life, and thy prosperitie. 3 Let not mercie and trueth forsake thee: binde them on thy necke, and write them vpon the table of thine heart. 4 So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstanding in the sight of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and leane not vnto thine owne wisdome. 6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy wayes. 7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes: but feare the Lord, and depart from euill. 8 So health shalbe vnto thy nauel, and marowe vnto thy bones. 9 Honour the Lord with thy riches, and with the first fruites of all thine increase. 10 So shall thy barnes be filled with abundance, and thy presses shall burst with newe wine. 11 My sonne, refuse not the chastening of the Lord, neither be grieued with his correction. 12 For the Lord correcteth him, whome he loueth, euen as the father doeth the childe in whom he deliteth. 13 Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome, and the man that getteth vnderstanding. 14 For the marchandise thereof is better then the marchandise of siluer, and the gaine thereof is better then golde. 15 It is more precious then pearles: and all things that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto her. 16 Length of dayes is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and glory. 17 Her wayes are wayes of pleasure, and all her pathes prosperitie. 18 She is a tree of life to them that lay holde on her, and blessed is he that retaineth her. 19 The Lord by wisdome hath layde the foundation of the earth, and hath stablished the heauens through vnderstanding. 20 By his knowledge the depthes are broken vp, and the cloudes droppe downe the dewe. 21 My sonne, let not these things depart from thine eyes, but obserue wisdome, and counsell. 22 So they shalbe life to thy soule, and grace vnto thy necke. 23 Then shalt thou walke safely by thy way: and thy foote shall not stumble. 24 If thou sleepest, thou shalt not bee afraide, and when thou sleepest, thy sleepe shalbe sweete. 25 Thou shalt not feare for any sudden feare, neither for the destruction of the wicked, when it commeth. 26 For the Lord shall be for thine assurance, and shall preserue thy foote from taking. 27 Withhold not the good from the owners thereof, though there be power in thine hand to doe it. 28 Say not vnto thy neighbour, Go and come againe, and to morow wil I giue thee, if thou now haue it. 29 Intend none hurt against thy neighbour, seeing he doeth dwell without feare by thee. 30 Striue not with a man causelesse, when he hath done thee no harme. 31 Bee not enuious for the wicked man, neither chuse any of his wayes. 32 For the frowarde is abomination vnto the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous. 33 The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous. 34 With the scornefull he scorneth, but hee giueth grace vnto the humble. 35 The wise shall inherite glorie: but fooles dishonour, though they be exalted.
Advice to the Young
1 My child, don't forget what I teach you. Always remember what I tell you to do. 2 My teaching will give you a long and prosperous life. 3 Never let go of loyalty and faithfulness. Tie them around your neck; write them on your heart. 4 If you do this, both God and people will be pleased with you.
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. 6 Remember the Lord in everything you do, and he will show you the right way. 7 Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the Lord and refuse to do wrong. 8 If you do, it will be like good medicine, healing your wounds and easing your pains. 9 Honor the Lord by making him an offering from the best of all that your land produces. 10 If you do, your barns will be filled with grain, and you will have too much wine to store it all.
11 My child, when the Lord corrects you, pay close attention and take it as a warning. 12 The Lord corrects those he loves, as parents correct a child of whom they are proud. 13 Happy is anyone who becomes wise—who comes to have understanding. 14 There is more profit in it than there is in silver; it is worth more to you than gold. 15 Wisdom is more valuable than jewels; nothing you could want can compare with it. 16 Wisdom offers you long life, as well as wealth and honor. 17 Wisdom can make your life pleasant and lead you safely through it. 18 Those who become wise are happy; wisdom will give them life.
19 The Lord created the earth by his wisdom;
by his knowledge he set the sky in place.
20 His wisdom caused the rivers to flow
and the clouds to give rain to the earth.
21 My child, hold on to your wisdom and insight. Never let them get away from you. 22 They will provide you with life—a pleasant and happy life. 23 You can go safely on your way and never even stumble. 24 You will not be afraid when you go to bed, and you will sleep soundly through the night. 25 You will not have to worry about sudden disasters, such as come on the wicked like a storm. 26 The Lord will keep you safe. He will not let you fall into a trap.
27 Whenever you possibly can, do good to those who need it. 28 Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now. 29 Don't plan anything that will hurt your neighbors; they live beside you, trusting you. 30 Don't argue with others for no reason when they have never done you any harm. 31 Don't be jealous of violent people or decide to act as they do, 32 because the Lord hates people who do evil, but he takes righteous people into his confidence. 33 The Lord puts a curse on the homes of the wicked, but blesses the homes of the righteous. 34 He has no use for conceited people, but shows favor to those who are humble. 35 Wise people will gain an honorable reputation, but stupid people will only add to their own disgrace.