1
My sonne, forget not thou my lawe, but see that thine heart kepe my commaundementes:
2
For they shal prolong the dayes and yeres of thy lyfe, and bryng thee peace.
3
Let mercie and faithfulnesse neuer go from thee: binde them about thy necke, and write them in the tables of thyne heart:
4
So shalt thou finde fauour and good vnderstandyng in the sight of God and men.
5
Put thy trust in God with all thine heart: & leane not vnto thine owne wit:
6
In all thy wayes acknowledge him, and he shall order thy goynges.
7
Be not wise in thine owne conceipt: but feare the Lorde, and depart from euyll:
8
So shall thy nauell be whole, and thy bones strong.
9
Honour the Lorde with thy substaunce, and with the firstlynges of all thyne encrease:
10
So shall thy barnes be filled with plenteousnesse, and thy presses shall flowe ouer with sweete wine.
11
My sonne refuse not the chastening of the Lorde, neither faynt when thou art corrected of hym:
12
For whom the Lorde loueth, him he chasteneth, and yet deliteth in him, euen as a father in his owne sonne.
13
Well is hym that findeth wysdome, and getteth vnderstandyng:
14
For the marchaundise of it, is better then the marchaundise of siluer, and the gayne therof [is better] then golde.
15
She is more worth then pretious stones: and all the thinges that thou canst desire, are not to be compared vnto her.
16
In her right hande is long life, and in her left hande riches and honour.
17
Her wayes are pleasaunt wayes, and all her pathes are peaceable.
18
She is a tree of lyfe to them that lay holde vpon her: and blessed is he that kepeth her fast.
19
With wysdome hath the Lorde layde the foundation of the earth, and thorow vnderstanding hath he stablished the heauens.
20
Thorow his knowledge the deapthes are broken vp, and the cloudes droppe downe the deawe.
21
My sonne, let not these thinges depart from thyne eyes, but kepe wysdome and vnderstanding:
22
So they shall be lyfe vnto thy soule, and grace vnto thy mouth.
23
Then shalt thou walke safely in thy way, and thy foote shall not stumble.
24
If thou sleepest, thou shalt not be afraide: but shalt take thy rest, and sleepe sweetely.
25
Thou shalt not be afraide of any sodayne feare, neither for the violent rushing in of the vngodly when it commeth.
26
For the Lorde shall stande by thy side, & kepe thy foote that thou be not taken.
27
Withdraw no good thyng from them that haue nede, so long as thyne hande is able to do it.
28
Say not vnto thy neyghbour, go thy way and come agayne, and to morowe wyll I geue thee: where as thou hast nowe to geue hym.
29
Intende no hurt against thy neyghbour, seing he hopeth to dwell in rest by thee.
30
Striue not with any man without a cause, where as he hath done thee no harme.
31
Folowe not a wicked man, and chose none of his wayes:
32
For the Lord abhorreth the froward: but his counsayle is among the righteous.
33
The curse of the Lord is in the house of the vngodly: but he blesseth the dwellinges of the righteous.
34
As for the scornfull, doth he not laugh them to scorne?
but he geueth grace vnto the lowly.
35
The wyse shall haue honour in possession: but shame is the promotion that fooles shall haue.