Hear, my son, the instruction of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother,

My son, if sinners entice thee be not willing.

My son! go not in the way with them, Withhold thy foot from their path,

Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.

And ye slight all my counsel, And my reproof ye have not desired.

Then they call me, and I do not answer, They seek me earnestly, and find me not.

Because that they have hated knowledge, And the fear of Jehovah have not chosen.

They have not consented to my counsel, They have despised all my reproof,

My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,

Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,

Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.

Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.

Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,

Precious she is above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.

My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,

Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.

If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.

Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.

Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand is toward God to do it.

Say not thou to thy friend, 'Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.

Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.

Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.

Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.

For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.

Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she is thy life.

Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.

Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.

For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not some to stumble.

The way of the wicked is as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.

Incline not to the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!

The path of life -- lest thou ponder, Moved have her paths -- thou knowest not.

And now, ye sons, hearken to me, And turn not from sayings of my mouth.

Keep far from off her thy way, And come not near unto the opening of her house,

And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.

Let them be to thee for thyself, And not to strangers with thee.

Give not sleep to thine eyes, And slumber to thine eyelids,

Which hath not captain, overseer, and ruler,

Keep, my son, the command of thy father, And leave not the law of thy mother.

Desire not her beauty in thy heart, And let her not take thee with her eyelids.

Doth a man take fire into his bosom, And are his garments not burnt?

Doth a man walk on the hot coals, And are his feet not scorched?

They do not despise the thief, When he stealeth to fill his soul when he is hungry,

A stroke and shame he doth find, And his reproach is not wiped away,

For jealousy is the fury of a man, And he doth not spare in a day of vengeance.

He accepteth not the appearance of any atonement, Yea, he doth not consent, Though thou dost multiply bribes!

In the twilight -- in the evening of day, In the darkness of night and blackness.

Noisy she is, and stubborn, In her house her feet rest not.

For the man is not in his house, He hath gone on a long journey.

Till an arrow doth split his liver, As a bird hath hastened unto a snare, And hath not known that it is for its life.

Let not thy heart turn unto her ways, Do not wander in her paths,

Doth not wisdom call? And understanding give forth her voice?

Receive my instruction, and not silver, And knowledge rather than choice gold.

For better is wisdom than rubies, Yea, all delights are not comparable with it.

While He had not made the earth, and out-places, And the top of the dusts of the world.

In His setting for the sea its limit, And the waters transgress not His command, In His decreeing the foundations of earth,

Hear instruction, and be wise, and slight not.

Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee, Give reproof to the wise, and he loveth thee.

A foolish woman is noisy, Simple, and hath not known what.

And he hath not known that Rephaim are there, In deep places of Sheol her invited ones!

Treasures of wickedness profit not, And righteousness delivereth from death.

Jehovah causeth not the soul of the righteous to hunger, And the desire of the wicked He thrusteth away.

In the abundance of words transgression ceaseth not, And whoso is restraining his lips is wise.

As the passing by of a hurricane, So the wicked is not, And the righteous is a foundation age-during.

The righteous to the age is not moved, And the wicked inhabit not the earth.

Wealth profiteth not in a day of wrath, And righteousness delivereth from death.

Hand to hand, the wicked is not acquitted, And the seed of the righteous hath escaped.

A man is not established by wickedness, And the root of the righteous is not moved.

Overthrow the wicked, and they are not, And the house of the righteous standeth.

The wicked hath desired the net of evil doers, And the root of the righteous giveth.

The slothful roasteth not his hunting, And the wealth of a diligent man is precious.

A wise son -- the instruction of a father, And a scorner -- he hath not heard rebuke.

The soul of the slothful is desiring, and hath not. And the soul of the diligent is made fat.

The ransom of a man's life are his riches, And the poor hath not heard rebuke.

A faithful witness lieth not, And a false witness breatheth out lies.

A scorner hath sought wisdom, and it is not, And knowledge to the intelligent is easy.

Go from before a foolish man, Or thou hast not known the lips of knowledge.

The heart knoweth its own bitterness, And with its joy a stranger doth not intermeddle.

Do not they err who are devising evil? And kindness and truth are to those devising good,

The lips of the wise scatter knowledge, And the heart of fools is not right.

A scorner loveth not his reprover, Unto the wise he goeth not.

An abomination to Jehovah is every proud one of heart, Hand to hand he is not acquitted.

An oath is on the lips of a king, In judgment his mouth trespasseth not.

A violent man enticeth his neighbour, And hath causeth him to go in a way not good.

Whoso is mocking at the poor Hath reproached his Maker, Whoso is rejoicing at calamity is not acquitted.

Not comely for a fool is a lip of excellency, Much less for a noble a lip of falsehood.

The meeting of a bereaved bear by a man, And -- not a fool in his folly.

Whoso is returning evil for good, Evil moveth not from his house.

The perverse of heart findeth not good, And the turned in his tongue falleth into evil.

Whoso is begetting a fool hath affliction for it, Yea, the father of a fool rejoiceth not.

Also, to fine the righteous is not good, To smite nobles for uprightness.

A fool delighteth not in understanding, But -- in uncovering his heart.

Acceptance of the face of the wicked is not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.

Also, without knowledge the soul is not good, And the hasty in feet is sinning.

A false witness is not acquitted, Whoso breatheth out lies is not delivered.

All the brethren of the poor have hated him, Surely also his friends have been far from him, He is pursuing words -- they are not!

A false witness is not acquitted, And whoso breatheth out lies perisheth.