3 My son, don’t forget my teaching,
    but let your heart keep my commandments,
² for they will add to you length of days,
    years of life, and peace.
³ Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you.
    Bind them around your neck.
    Write them on the tablet of your heart.
⁴ So you will find favor,
    and good understanding in the sight of God and man.
⁵ Trust in Yahweh with all your heart,
    and don’t lean on your own understanding.
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make your paths straight.
⁷ Don’t be wise in your own eyes.
    Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.
⁸ It will be health to your body,
    and nourishment to your bones.
⁹ Honor Yahweh with your substance,
    with the first fruits of all your increase;
¹⁰ so your barns will be filled with plenty,
    and your vats will overflow with new wine.
¹¹ My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline,
    neither be weary of his correction;
¹² for whom Yahweh loves, he corrects,
    even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.

¹³ Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
    the man who gets understanding.
¹⁴ For her good profit is better than getting silver,
    and her return is better than fine gold.
¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies.
    None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand.
    In her left hand are riches and honor.
¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness.
    All her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.
    Happy is everyone who retains her.
¹⁹ By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth.
    By understanding, he established the heavens.
²⁰ By his knowledge, the depths were broken up,
    and the skies drop down the dew.
²¹ My son, let them not depart from your eyes.
    Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
²² so they will be life to your soul,
    and grace for your neck.
²³ Then you shall walk in your way securely.
    Your foot won’t stumble.
²⁴ When you lie down, you will not be afraid.
    Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.
²⁵ Don’t be afraid of sudden fear,
    neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes;
²⁶ for Yahweh will be your confidence,
    and will keep your foot from being taken.

²⁷ Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in the power of your hand to do it.
²⁸ Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again;
    tomorrow I will give it to you,”
    when you have it by you.
²⁹ Don’t devise evil against your neighbor,
    since he dwells securely by you.
³⁰ Don’t strive with a man without cause,
    if he has done you no harm.
³¹ Don’t envy the man of violence.
    Choose none of his ways.
³² For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh,
    but his friendship is with the upright.
³³ Yahweh’s curse is in the house of the wicked,
    but he blesses the habitation of the righteous.
³⁴ Surely he mocks the mockers,
    but he gives grace to the humble.
³⁵ The wise will inherit glory,
    but shame will be the promotion of fools.