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!