¹My son, do not forget my instruction,

And let your heart keep my commandments,

²For they will add length of days

And years of life

And peace to you.

³Do not let kindness and truth leave you.

Bind them around your neck;

Write them on the tablet of your heart,

⁴And find grace and recognition of sound intellect

In the eyes of God and man.

⁵Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And do not rely on your own understanding.

⁶In all your ways acknowledge him,

And he will direct your paths.

⁷Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord,

And depart from evil.

⁸Let healing come to your sinews,

And refreshment to your bones.

⁹Honour the Lord with a portion of your wealth,

And with the firstfruits of all your produce,

¹⁰And your storehouses will be filled in abundance

So that your wine vats will overflow with new wine.

¹³Happy is the man who has found wisdom,

And the man who obtains understanding,

¹⁴For its value is greater than the value of silver,

And its yield is greater than that of gold.

¹⁵It is more precious than red corals,

And none of your material desires can be compared to it.

¹⁶Length of days is in its right hand,

And in its left hand are wealth and honour.

¹⁷Its ways are pleasant ways,

And all its paths are peaceable.

¹⁸It is a tree of life to those who take hold of it,

And each of those who obtain it is content.

¹⁹The Lord founded the earth in wisdom;

He established the heavens with competence.

²⁰By his knowledge, the oceans were split open,

And the skies now distil dew.

²¹My son, do not let them go out of your sight;

Guard resourcefulness and thoughtfulness,

²²And your being will have life,

And your neck will have grace.

²³Then you will walk in your way safely,

And your foot will not strike anything.

²⁴When you lie down, you will not fear.

So you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.

²⁵Do not be afraid of a sudden terror

Or of the destructive action of the wicked

When it comes about.

²⁶For the Lord will be in your inward parts,

And he will keep your foot from becoming caught.

²⁷Do not deny what is good

To those to whom it is appropriate,

When it is within your means to do it.

²⁸Do not say to your neighbour,

“Go, and come back,

And tomorrow I will give you something”,

When you have the means.

²⁹Do not devise evil against your neighbour

Who lives safely alongside you.

³⁰Do not contend with a man gratuitously,

If he has not caused you any harm.

³¹Do not be envious of a man of violence,

And do not choose any of his ways,

³²For the devious man is an abomination to the Lord,

But his secret is with the upright.

³³The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,

But he blesses the abode of the righteous.

³⁵The wise will inherit honour,

But contempt will show up fools.

Reference(s) in Chapter 3: v.4 ↔ Romans 12:17 ● v.7 ↔ Romans 12:16 ● v.11 ↔ Hebrews 12:5 ● v.12 ↔ Hebrews 12:6, Revelation 3:19 ● v.34 ↔ 1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6.