Listen, my sons, to the instruction of a father; pay attention so you may gain understanding.

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

For I give you good teaching; do not abandon my instruction.

For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

When I was a son to my father, tender and the only one in the eyes of my mother,

For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

he taught me and said to me, 'Let your heart hold onto my words; keep my commands, and you will live.'

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

Acquire wisdom; acquire understanding. Do not forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.

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

Do not abandon her, and she will guard you; love her, and she will protect you.

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

Wisdom is supreme—acquire wisdom. Though it costs you all you have, gain understanding.

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

Prize her, and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

She will place a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of splendor.

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

Listen, my son, and accept my words, and the years of your life will be many.

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have guided you along straight paths.

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; when you run, you will not stumble.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Hold tightly to instruction; do not let it go. Guard it well, for it is your life.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.

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

Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn away from it and go on your way.

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

For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep until they make someone stumble.

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

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

The path of the righteous is like the morning light, shining brighter and brighter until the full day.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

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

Do not let them depart from your sight; keep them in the midst of your heart.

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

For they are life to those who find them and healing to all their flesh.

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

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and keep corrupt speech far from you.

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Consider the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established.

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

Do not turn to the right or to the left; keep your foot away from evil.

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