¹ My son, forget not my teaching, and let thy heart observe my commandments;

² for length of days, and years of life, and peace shall they add to thee.

³ Let not loving-kindness and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thy heart:

⁴ and thou shalt find favour and good understanding in the sight of¹ God and man.

1. 3.4 Elohim

⁵ Confide in Jehovah with all thy heart, and lean not unto thine own intelligence;

⁶ in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will make plain thy paths.

⁷ Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear Jehovah, and depart from evil:

⁸ it shall be health for thy navel, and moisture for thy bones.

⁹ Honour Jehovah with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase;

¹⁰ so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine.

¹¹ My son, despise not the instruction of Jehovah, neither be weary of his chastisement;

¹² for whom Jehovah loveth he chasteneth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

¹³ Blessed is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.

¹⁴ For the gain thereof is better than the gain of silver, and her revenue than fine gold.

¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies; and all the things thou canst desire are not equal unto her.

¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand riches and honour.

¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸ She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her; and happy is he that retaineth her.

¹⁹ Jehovah by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens.

²⁰ By his knowledge the deeps were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

²¹ My son, let them not depart from thine eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion:

²² so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace unto thy neck.

²³ Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely, and thy foot shall not stumble;

²⁴ when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, but thou shalt lie down and thy sleep shall be sweet.

²⁵ Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the destruction of the wicked, when it cometh;

²⁶ for Jehovah shall be thy confidence, and he will keep thy foot from being taken.

²⁷ Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

²⁸ Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee.

²⁹ Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

³⁰ Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

³¹ Envy not the man of violence, and choose none of his ways.

³² For the perverse is an abomination to Jehovah; but his secret is with the upright.

³³ The curse of Jehovah is in the house of the wicked; but he blesseth the habitation of the righteous.

³⁴ He indeed scorneth the scorners; but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

³⁵ The wise shall inherit glory; but shame shall be the promotion of the foolish.