My son, forget not my Tora; but let thy heart keep my commandments:

My son, do not forget my Torah, and let your heart guard my mitzvoth.

For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

For length of days and years of life, and peace will they bequeath to you.

Let not loyal love and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thy heart:

Let lovingkindness and truth not forsake you. Entwine them around your throat; inscribe them on the tablet of your heart.

so shalt thou find grace and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

And you will find favor and [(be regarded as possessing)] goodly wisdom in the eyes of G-d and man.

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart; and do not lean upon thy own understanding.

Trust to the L-rd with all your heart [(and spend liberally to find a teacher to learn from)], and do not rely upon your own understanding.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

In all of your ways know Him, and He will straighten your paths.

Be not wise in thy own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.

Do not be wise in your own eyes [(to spurn the reproof of your chastisers)]; fear the L-rd and depart from evil.

It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

For it [wisdom] is healing to your navel and marrow to your bones.

Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thy increase:

Honor the L-rd from [all] that He has bequeathed to you [(even a pleasing voice)], and from the first of all your produce.

so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall burst with new wine.

And your silos will be filled to satiety, and your vats will burst forth with wine.

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord; nor be weary of his correction:

The afflictions of the L-rd, my son, do not despise, and do not reject His chastisement.

for the Lord reproves him whom he loves: even as a father the son in whom he delights.

For whom the L-rd loves, He chastises, and [(afterwards He conciliates him)] as a father conciliates [his] son.

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding.

Happy is the man who has found wisdom and the man who [is so conversant with it that he] "spouts" understanding.

For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and its gain than fine gold.

For better is its commerce [i.e., its interchange] than the commerce of silver [(for in the latter instance, one takes one commodity, and the other, another; but in the instance of wisdom, both [(ideas)] remain with each)], and its produce is better than fine gold.

She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.

It is more precious than pearls, and all of your desires do not equal it [(in worth)].

Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand are riches and honour.

There is length of days [(and, it goes without saying, wealth and honor)] in its right hand [i.e., to those who pursue it for its own sake]; wealth and honor [(but not length of days)] in its left hand [i.e., to those who do not pursue it for its own sake].

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all of its paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who lay hold on her: and happy are those who hold her fast.

It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it, and those who bolster it are fortunate.

The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he estab­lished the heavens.

The L-rd with wisdom [Torah] founded the earth; He established the heavens with understanding [Torah].

By his knowledge the depths were broken up, and the clouds drop down dew.

Through its [Torah's] knowledge, the depths were cleaved, and the heavens dripped dew.

My son, let them not depart from thy eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:

[Therefore, the entire world having been created through Torah,] do not let it depart from your eyes. Heed [it in] act and thought.

so shall they be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.

And they [(the Torah's wisdom, knowledge, etc.)] will be life to your soul and grace to your throat.

Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.

Then you will walk your way securely and your foot will not stumble.

When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: indeed, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

When you lie down, you will not fear, and when you recline, your sleep will be pleasant.

Be not afraid of sudden fear, nor of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes.

[For] you will not fear a sudden fright or the destruction of the wicked when it comes.

For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being caught.

For the L-rd will be with you in your trust, and He will guard your feet from entrapment.

Withhold not good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do it.

Do not withhold good from its owners [(i.e., if your neighbor wants to help the poor, do not stop him)] if you have the power to do [so].

Say not to thy neighbour, Go, and come back, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

[And] do not tell your [poor] friend: "Go, and return, and tomorrow I will give [it to you]," if you have it [now].

Do not devise evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwells securely by thee.

Do not plot evil against your friend. Does he not dwell trustingly with you?

Do not strive with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

Do not [bring a] quarrel [i.e., a complaint] upon a man in vain, if he has not done you evil [(it being written [Leviticus 19:18]: "And you shall love your fellow as yourself.")]

Do not envy the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.

Do not envy the man of violence [(to do as he does if you see him prospering)], and do not choose any of his ways.

For the underhand man is abomination to the Lord: and he shares his counsel with the righteous.

For the abomination of the L-rd is the crooked one, and His counsel is with the just.

The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesses the habitation of the just.

The blight of the L-rd is in the house of the wicked, and He blesses the abode of the righteous.

Surely he scorns the scorners: but he gives grace to the humble.

If one follows scoffers, he [himself] will scoff with them, and if [he follows] the humble, he will give [i.e., project] favor [i.e., his deeds will find favor in the eyes of men].

The wise shall inherit honour: but fools shall get shame.

The wise inherit honor and the fools reap shame [for themselves].