| 1. | Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding. |
| 2. | For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not. |
| 3. | For, a son I have been to my father -- tender, And an only one before my mother. |
| 4. | And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live. |
| 5. | Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth. |
| 6. | Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee. |
| 7. | The first thing `is' wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding. |
| 8. | Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her. |
| 9. | She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely. |
| 10. | Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life `are' multiplied to thee. |
| 11. | In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness. |
| 12. | In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not. |
| 13. | Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she `is' thy life. |
| 14. | Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers. |
| 15. | Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on. |
| 16. | For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not `some' to stumble. |
| 17. | For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink. |
| 18. | And the path of the righteous `is' as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established, |
| 19. | The way of the wicked `is' as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble. |
| 20. | My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear, |
| 21. | Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart. |
| 22. | For life they `are' to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing. |
| 23. | Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it `are' the outgoings of life. |
| 24. | Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee, |
| 25. | Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee. |
| 26. | Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways `are' established. |
| 27. | Incline not `to' the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil! |