1Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
1Hear, my sons, the discipline of a father, and pay attention to know understanding.
2For I give you sound teaching;
do not abandon my directive.
2For good teaching I have given to you; do not forsake my instruction.
3When I was a son to my father,
tender and the only child of my mother,
3For I was a son to my father, tender and the only one before the face of my mother,
4he taught me and said,
“Let your heart lay hold of my words;
keep my commands and you will live.
4and he instructed me and said to me, “Let your heart take hold of my words; keep my commands, and live.
5Get wisdom, get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn from them.
5Acquire wisdom; acquire understanding! Do not forget and do not bend away from the words of my mouth.
6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you;
love her, and she will guard you.
6Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
7Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom.
And whatever you may acquire,a gain understanding.
7The first thing is wisdom; acquire wisdom, and in all your acquiring, acquire understanding.
8Prize her, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you.
8Lift her up, and she will exalt you; she will bring you honor when you embrace her.
9She will set a garland of grace on your head;
she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
9She will give to your head a wreath of grace; a crown of beauty she will deliver to you.”
10Listen, my son, and receive my words,
and the years of your life will be many.
10Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of life will be multiplied for you.
11I will guide you in the way of wisdom;
I will lead you on straight paths.
11In the way of wisdom I have instructed you; I have made you step in paths of uprightness.
12When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
when you run, you will not stumble.
12In your walking, your steps will not be restricted; and when you run, you will not stumble.
13Hold on to instruction; do not let go.
Guard it, for it is your life.
13Hold on to instruction; do not let go; Guard her, for she is your life.
14Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.
14Do not enter into the path of the wicked ones, and do not walk in the way of evil ones.
15Avoid it; do not travel on it.
Turn from it and pass on by.
15Avoid it! Do not pass onto it; turn aside from it and pass by.
16For they cannot sleep
unless they do evil;
they are deprived of slumber
until they make someone fall.
16For they cannot sleep if they have not done evil; and their sleep is stolen if they do not they cause stumbling.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
17Indeed, they eat the bread of wickedness; they drink the wine of violence.
18The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
18But the path of the righteous is like the light of brightness, and shining and going forth, until the day is established.
19But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;
they do not know what makes them stumble.
19The way of the wicked is like the darkness—they do not know over what they stumble.
20My son, pay attention to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
20My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21Do not lose sight of them;
keep them within your heart.
21Do not let them depart from your eyes—keep them in the midst of your heart.
22For they are life to those who find them,
and health to the whole body.
22For they are life to those finding them, and to all his flesh healing.
23Guard your heart with all diligence,
for from it flow springs of life.
23With all diligence, guard your heart, for from it are the outgoings of life.
24Put away deception from your mouth;
keep your lips from perverse speech.
24Turn away from you the crookedness of the mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.
25Let your eyes look forward;
fix your gaze straight ahead.
25Your eyes should look forward, and your eyelids keep straight before you.
26Make a level path for your feet,a
and all your ways will be sure.
26Make level the path for your feet, and all your ways shall be established.
27Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your feet away from evil.
27Do not bend away to the right or the left; turn aside your foot from evil.