1Hear, O ye children, the fatherly exhortation, and take good heed, that ye may learn wisdom.
2Yea I shall give you a good reward, if ye will not forsake my law.
3For when I my self was my father's dear son, and tenderly beloved of my mother,
4he taught me also, saying: Let thine heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
5Get thee wisdom, get thee understanding, forget not the words of my mouth, and shrink not from them.
6Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7The chief point of wisdom is, that thou be willing to obtain wisdom, and before all thy goods to get the understanding.
8Make much of her and she shall promote thee: Yea if thou embracest her, she shall bring thee unto honour.
9She shall make thee a gracious head, and garnish thee with a(the) crown of glory.
10Hear, my son, and receive my words, that the years of thy life may be many.
11I will shew thee, the way of wisdom, and lead thee in the right paths.
12So that if thou goest therein, there shall no straitness hinder thee: and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
13Take fast hold of doctrine, let her not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
14Come not in the path of the ungodly, and walk not in the way of the wicked.
15Eschew it, and go not therein: depart aside, and pass over by it.
16For they can not sleep, except they have first done some mischief: neither take they any rest, except they have first done some harm.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of robbery.
18The path of the righteous shineth as the light, and is ever brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
19But the way of the ungodly is as the darkness, wherein men fall, or they be aware.(awarre)
20My son, mark my words, and incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them even in the middest of thine heart.
22For they are life unto all those that find them, and health unto all their bodies.
23Keep thine heart with all diligence, for there upon hangeth life.
24Put away from thee a froward mouth, and let the lips of slander(sclaunder) be far from thee.
25Let thine eyes behold the thing that is right, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26Ponder the path of thy feet, so shall all thy ways be sure.
27Turn not aside, neither to the right hand nor to the left, but withhold thy foot from evil.