| Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. | Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. |
| My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. | My child, never forget the things I have taught you. Store my commands in your heart. If you do this, you will live many years, and your life will be satisfying. |
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| Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. | Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. |
| Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. | Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil. Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. |
| Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. | Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything you produce. |
| My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth. | My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. |
| Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. | Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding. |
| Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. | Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. |
| Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways. For the froward is abomination to the Lord: but his secret is with the righteous. | Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways. Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord, but he offers his friendship to the godly. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. | My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. |
| Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? | Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? |
| The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. | All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. |
| For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the Lord. | For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. |
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. | Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. |
| A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. | A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. |
