| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; | 1My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: |
| 2For length of days and long life And peace they will add to you. | 2For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. |
| 3Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, | 3Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: |
| 4And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man. | 4So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. |
| 5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; | 5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. |
| 6In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. | 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. |
| 7Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and depart from evil. | 7Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil. |
| 8It will be health to your flesh, And strength to your bones. | 8It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. |
| 9Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; | 9Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: |
| 10So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine. | 10So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. |
| 11My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; | 11My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: |
| 12For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights. | 12For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. |
| 13Happy is the man who finds wisdom, And the man who gains understanding; | 13Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. |
| 14For her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, And her gain than fine gold. | 14For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. |
| 15She is more precious than rubies, And all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. | 15She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her. |
| 16Length of days is in her right hand, In her left hand riches and honor. | 16Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. |
| 17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. | 17Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. |
| 18She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who retain her. | 18She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. |
| 19The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; By understanding He established the heavens; | 19The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. |
| 20By His knowledge the depths were broken up, And clouds drop down the dew. | 20By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. |
| 21My son, let them not depart from your eyes— Keep sound wisdom and discretion; | 21My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: |
| 22So they will be life to your soul And grace to your neck. | 22So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. |
| 23Then you will walk safely in your way, And your foot will not stumble. | 23Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. |
| 24When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet. | 24When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet. |
| 25Do not be afraid of sudden terror, Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes; | 25Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. |
| 26For the LORD will be your confidence, And will keep your foot from being caught. | 26For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. |
| 27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. | 27Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. |
| 28Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you. | 28Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee. |
| 29Do not devise evil against your neighbor, For he dwells by you for safety’s sake. | 29Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. |
| 30Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm. | 30Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm. |
| 31Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways; | 31Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. |
| 32For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel is with the upright. | 32For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous. |
| 33The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just. | 33The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just. |
| 34Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. | 34Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. |
| 35The wise shall inherit glory, But shame shall be the legacy of fools. | 35The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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