1 Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:

1 שִׁמְע֣וּ בָ֭נִים מ֣וּסַר אָ֑ב וְ֝הַקְשִׁ֗יבוּ לָדַ֥עַת בִּינָֽה׃

2 For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.

2 כִּ֤י לֶ֣קַח טֹ֭וב נָתַ֣תִּי לָכֶ֑ם תֹּֽ֝ורָתִ֗י אַֽל־תַּעֲזֹֽבוּ׃

3 For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.

3 כִּי־בֵ֭ן הָיִ֣יתִי לְאָבִ֑י רַ֥ךְ וְ֝יָחִ֗יד לִפְנֵ֥י אִמִּֽי׃

4 And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:

4 וַיֹּרֵ֗נִי וַיֹּ֥אמֶר לִ֗י יִֽתְמָךְ־דְּבָרַ֥י לִבֶּ֑ךָ שְׁמֹ֖ר מִצְוֹתַ֣י וֶֽחְיֵֽה׃

5 Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.

5 קְנֵ֣ה חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה בִינָ֑ה אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח וְאַל־תֵּ֝֗ט מֵֽאִמְרֵי־פִֽי׃

6 Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.

6 אַל־תַּעַזְבֶ֥הָ וְתִשְׁמְרֶ֑ךָּ אֱהָבֶ֥הָ וְתִצְּרֶֽךָּ׃

7 The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.

7 רֵאשִׁ֣ית חָ֭כְמָה קְנֵ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּבְכָל־קִ֝נְיָנְךָ֗ קְנֵ֣ה בִינָֽה׃

8 Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.

8 סַלְסְלֶ֥הָ וּֽתְרֹומְמֶ֑ךָּ תְּ֝כַבֵּ֗דְךָ כִּ֣י תְחַבְּקֶֽנָּה׃

9 She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.

9 תִּתֵּ֣ן לְ֭רֹאשְׁךָ לִוְיַת־חֵ֑ן עֲטֶ֖רֶת תִּפְאֶ֣רֶת תְּמַגְּנֶֽךָּ׃

10 Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.

10 שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי וְקַ֣ח אֲמָרָ֑י וְיִרְבּ֥וּ לְ֝ךָ֗ שְׁנֹ֣ות חַיִּֽים׃

11 I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.

11 בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ חָ֭כְמָה הֹרֵתִ֑יךָ הִ֝דְרַכְתִּ֗יךָ בְּמַעְגְּלֵי־יֹֽשֶׁר׃

12 When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.

12 בְּֽ֭לֶכְתְּךָ לֹא־יֵצַ֣ר צַעֲדֶ֑ךָ וְאִם־תָּ֝ר֗וּץ לֹ֣א תִכָּשֵֽׁל׃

13 Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.

13 הַחֲזֵ֣ק בַּמּוּסָ֣ר אַל־תֶּ֑רֶף נִ֝צְּרֶ֗הָ כִּי־הִ֥יא חַיֶּֽיךָ׃

14 Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.

14 בְּאֹ֣רַח רְ֭שָׁעִים אַל־תָּבֹ֑א וְאַל־תְּ֝אַשֵּׁ֗ר בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ רָעִֽים׃

15 Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.

15 פְּרָעֵ֥הוּ אַל־תַּעֲבָר־בֹּ֑ו שְׂטֵ֖ה מֵעָלָ֣יו וַעֲבֹֽור׃

16 For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.

16 כִּ֤י לֹ֣א יִֽ֭שְׁנוּ אִם־לֹ֣א יָרֵ֑עוּ וְֽנִגְזְלָ֥ה נָתָ֗ם אִם־לֹ֥א יִכְשֹׁולוּ יַכְשִֽׁילוּ׃

17 The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.

17 כִּ֣י לָ֭חֲמוּ לֶ֣חֶם רֶ֑שַׁע וְיֵ֖ין חֲמָסִ֣ים יִשְׁתּֽוּ׃

18 But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.

18 וְאֹ֣רַח צַ֭דִּיקִים כְּאֹ֣ור נֹ֑גַהּ הֹולֵ֥ךְ וָ֝אֹ֗ור עַד־נְכֹ֥ון הַיֹּֽום׃

19 The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.

19 דֶּ֣רֶךְ רְ֭שָׁעִים כָּֽאֲפֵלָ֑ה לֹ֥א יָ֝דְע֗וּ בַּמֶּ֥ה יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃

20 My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.

20 בְּ֭נִי לִדְבָרַ֣י הַקְשִׁ֑יבָה לַ֝אֲמָרַ֗י הַט־אָזְנֶֽךָ׃

21 Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.

21 אַל־יַלִּ֥יזוּ מֵעֵינֶ֑יךָ מְרֵ֗ם בְּתֹ֣וךְ לְבָבֶֽךָ׃

22 For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.

22 כִּֽי־חַיִּ֣ים הֵ֭ם לְמֹצְאֵיהֶ֑ם וּֽלְכָל־בְּשָׂרֹ֥ו מַרְפֵּֽא׃

23 And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.

23 מִֽכָּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תֹּוצְאֹ֥ות חַיִּֽים׃

24 Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.

24 הָסֵ֣ר מִ֭מְּךָ עִקְּשׁ֣וּת פֶּ֑ה וּלְז֥וּת פָתַ֗יִם הַרְחֵ֥ק מִמֶּֽךָּ׃

25 Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.

25 עֵ֭ינֶיךָ לְנֹ֣כַח יַבִּ֑יטוּ וְ֝עַפְעַפֶּ֗יךָ יַיְשִׁ֥רוּ נֶגְדֶּֽךָ׃

26 Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.

26 פַּ֭לֵּס³ מַעְגַּ֣ל רַגְלֶ֑ךָ וְֽכָל־דְּרָכֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽנוּ׃

27 Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.

27 אַֽל־תֵּט־יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹ֑אול הָסֵ֖ר רַגְלְךָ֣ מֵרָֽע׃