| Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. | Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. |
| Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. | Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. |
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| Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. | My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. |
| I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. | I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. |
| My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. | My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart. |
| Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. | Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. |
| Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. | Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. |
| Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. | Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. |
| Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. | Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. |
| Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. | Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
