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 wholeheartedly in the Lord rather than relying on your own intelligence. In everything you do, acknowledge him, and he will see that your paths are straight. |
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 son, do not forget my teaching, but cherish my commandments in your heart, for they will bring you length of days, more years of life, and an abundance of prosperity. |
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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. | Do not let kindness and fidelity leave you; fasten them around your neck and inscribe them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will gain favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. |
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. | Do not pride yourself on your own wisdom; fear the Lord and turn your back on evil. This will provide healing for your flesh and restore strength to your body. |
Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. | Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your crops. |
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 son, do not ignore the Lord’s discipline or refuse to accept his rebuke. For the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, just as a father chastises a beloved son. |
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. | Blessed is the person who has found wisdom, the one who has gained 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 kindness from anyone to whom it is due when it is in your power to grant it. |
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. | Do not envy a violent man or choose to emulate any of his ways. For the perverse man is an abomination to the Lord whose friendship is bestowed only upon the upright. |
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. | Acquire wisdom and gain understanding; never forget or turn aside from my words. |
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. | The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom, and no matter what the cost, acquire understanding. |
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. | Listen, my son, and take my words to heart, and the years of your life will be multiplied. |
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. | I have instructed you in the ways of wisdom and led you along the paths of righteousness. |
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 son, concentrate attentively on my words; pay heed to the instructions I pass on to you. Do not let them slip from your mind; keep them forever in your heart. |
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. | Guard your heart with all possible vigilance, for from it flow the wellsprings of life. |
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. | Turn away from the mouth that deceives and keep your distance from lips that mislead. |
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. | Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze on what lies before you. |
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. | Ensure that the path you tread is level, and then your ways will be sure. |
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. | Do not swerve either to the right or to the left; keep your foot far from evil. |
My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother. | Observe your father’s command, my son, and do not reject your mother’s teaching. |
Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? | Or can a man walk on red-hot coals without scorching 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. | The fear of the Lord implies hatred of evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways 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. | The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. |
A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. | A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son gives grief to his mother. |