2 I shall give to you a good gift; forsake ye not my law. (I give you a good gift; do not ye abandon my instructions.)
3 For why and I was the son of my father, a tender son, and one begotten, before my mother. (For I was my father’s son, a tender son, and my mother’s only child.)
4 And my father taught me, and said, Thine heart receive my words; keep thou my behests (or obey my commands), and thou shalt live.
5 Wield thou wisdom, wield thou prudence; forget thou not, neither bow thou away from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake thou not it, and it shall keep thee (safe); love thou it, and it shall keep thee (safe).
7 The beginning of wisdom, wield thou wisdom; and in all thy possession, get thou prudence. (The beginning of wisdom, is that thou first obtain wisdom; and among all thy possessions, of greatest importance is that thou get understanding.)
8 Take thou it, and it shall enhance thee; thou shalt be glorified of it, when thou hast embraced it. (Receive thou it into thy heart, and it shall advance thee, or shall promote thee, or raise thee up; thou shalt be honoured, when thou hast embraced it.)
9 It shall give increasings of graces to thine head; and a noble crown shall defend thee. (It shall bring many favours upon thee; and they shall adorn thee like a noble crown.)
10 My son, hear thou, and take my words (to heart); (so) that the years of (thy) life be multiplied to thee.
11 I shall show to thee the way of wisdom; and I shall lead thee by the paths of equity (or and I shall lead thee on the fair ways).
12 Into which when thou hast entered, thy goings shall not be made strait; and thou shalt run, and shalt not have hurting (or and thou shalt not be caused to stumble).
13 Hold thou (fast to my) teaching, and forsake thou it not; keep thou it (near), for it is thy life.
14 Delight thou not in the paths of wicked men; and the way of evil men please not thee. (Delight thou not in the paths of the wicked; and do not let the ways of evil people please thee.)
15 Flee thou from it, and pass thou not thereby; bow thou away, and forsake it.
16 For they sleep not, no but they have done evil; and sleep is ravished from them, no but they have deceived simple men. (For they do not sleep, unless first they have done some evil; and sleep is taken from them, unless first they have deceived those who be honest, or have integrity.)