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¹ My son, forget not my law; but let thy heart keep my commandments;² For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.³ Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thy heart:⁴ So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.⁵ Trust in the LORD with all thy heart; and lean not to thy own understanding.⁶ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct thy paths.

⁷ Be not wise in thy own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.⁸ It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.⁹ Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thy increase:¹⁰ So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.¹¹ My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:¹² For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.

¹³ Happy [is] the man [that] findeth wisdom, and the man [that] getteth understanding.¹⁴ For the merchandise of it [is] better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain of it than fine gold.¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.¹⁶ Length of days [is] in her right hand; [and] in her left hand riches and honor.¹⁷ Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, and all her paths [are] peace.¹⁸ She [is] a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy [is every one] that retaineth her.¹⁹ The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens.²⁰ By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

²¹ My son, let not them depart from thy eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion:²² So shall they be life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.²³ Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.²⁴ When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: but thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.²⁵ Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.²⁶ For the LORD will be thy confidence, and will keep thy foot from being taken.

²⁷ Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thy hand to do [it].²⁸ Say not to thy neighbor, Go, and come again, and to-morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.²⁹ Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.³⁰ Strive not with a man without cause, if he hath done thee no harm.³¹ Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways.³² For the froward [is] abomination to the LORD: but his secret [is] with the righteous.³³ The curse of the LORD [is] in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.³⁴ Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace to the lowly.³⁵ The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.