2I shall give to you a good gift; forsake ye not my law. (I give you a good gift; do not ye abandon my instructions.)

3For why and I was the son of my father, a tender son, and one begotten, before my mother. (For I was my father’s son, a tender son, and my mother’s only child.)

4And my father taught me, and said, Thine heart receive my words; keep thou my behests (obey my commands), and thou shalt live.

5Wield thou wisdom, wield thou prudence; forget thou not, neither bow thou away from the words of my mouth.

6Forsake thou not it, and it shall keep thee (safe); love thou it, and it shall keep thee (safe).

7The beginning of wisdom, wield thou wisdom; and in all thy possession, get thou prudence. (The beginning of wisdom, is that thou first obtain wisdom; and among all thy possessions, of greatest importance is that thou get understanding.)

8Take thou it, and it shall enhance thee; thou shalt be glorified of it, when thou hast embraced it. (Take thou it unto thy heart, and it shall advance thee, or shall promote thee, or raise thee up; thou shalt be honoured, when thou hast embraced it.)

9It shall give increasings of graces to thine head; and a noble crown shall defend thee. (It shall bring many favours upon thee; and they shall adorn thee like a noble crown.)

10My son, hear thou, and take my words (to heart); (so) that the years of (thy) life be multiplied to thee.

11I shall show to thee the way of wisdom; and I shall lead thee by the paths of equity (and I shall lead thee on the fair ways).

12Into which when thou hast entered, thy goings shall not be made strait; and thou shalt run, and shalt not have hurting (and thou shalt not be caused to stumble).

13Hold thou (fast to my) teaching, and forsake [thou] it not; keep thou it (near), for it is thy life.

14Delight thou not in the paths of wicked men; and the way of evil men please not thee. (Delight thou not in the paths of the wicked; and do not let the ways of evil people please thee.)

15Flee thou from it, and pass thou not thereby; bow thou away, and forsake it.

16For they sleep not, no but they have done evil; and sleep is ravished from them, no but they have deceived simple men. (For they do not sleep, unless first they have done some evil; and sleep is taken from them, unless first they have deceived those who be honest, or have integrity.)

17They eat the bread of unpiety, and drink the wine of wickedness. (They eat evil bread, and drink wicked wine.)

18But the path of just men goeth forth as light shining (But the path of the righteous goeth forth like a shining light), and increaseth till to perfect day.

19The way of wicked men is dark (The way of the wicked is dark); they know not where, (or when,) they shall fall.

20My son, hearken thou (to) my words; and bow down thine ears to my speeches.

21Go not they away from thine eyes (Let them not go away from thine eyes); keep thou them in the middle of thine heart.

22For those be life to men finding those, and health of all flesh. (For they be life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.)

23With all (safe) keeping keep thine heart (safe), for life cometh forth of it (for life cometh forth from it).

24Remove thou a shrewd mouth from thee (Do not thou speak depraved things); and backbiting lips be far from thee.

25Thine eyes see rightful things; and thine eyelids go before thy steps.

26(Ad)dress thou [the] paths to thy feet (Direct thou the steps of thy feet), and all thy ways shall be stablished.

27Bow thou not to the right side, neither to the left side; turn away thy foot from evil.