The wise man exhorteth others by his own example to seek wisdom, 14. to decline from the wicked, and to imitate the just, 23. to guide well the heart, mouth, and feet.The wiseman exhorteth others by his owne example to seeke wisdom, 14. to decline from the wicked, and to imitate the iust, 23. to guide wel the hart, mouth, and feete.✦
Children hear ye the father's discipline, and attend that you may know prudence.CHILDREN heare ye the fathers discipline, and attend that you may knowe prudence.✦Audite, filii, disciplinam patris, et attendite ut sciatis prudentiam.
2I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.I wil geue you a good gift, forsake not my law.✦Donum bonum tribuam vobis : legem meam ne derelinquatis.
3For I also was the son of my father, tender and as only begotten in my mother's sight:For I also was the sonne of my father, tender and as onlie begotten in my mothers sight:✦Nam et ego filius fui patris mei, tenellus et unigenitus coram matre mea.
4and he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my precepts, and thou shalt live.and he taught me, & sayd: Let thy hart receiue my wordes, kepe my preceptes, and thou shalt liue.✦Et docebat me, atque dicebat : Suscipiat verba mea cor tuum ; custodi præcepta mea, et vives.
5Possess wisdom, possess prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.Possesse wisdom, possesse prudence: forget not, neither decline from the wordes of my mouth.✦Posside sapientiam, posside prudentiam : ne obliviscaris, neque declines a verbis oris mei.
6Leave her not, and she will keep thee: love her, and she will preserve thee.Leaue her not, and she wil keepe thee: loue her, and she wil preserue thee.✦Ne dimittas eam, et custodiet te : dilige eam, et conservabit te.
7The beginning of wisdom, possess wisdom, and in all thy possession purchase prudence:The beginning of wisdom, possesse wisdom, and in al thy possession purchase prudence:✦Principium sapientiæ : posside sapientiam, et in omni possessione tua acquire prudentiam.
8take quickly, and she will exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified of her, when thou shalt embrace her.take quickly, and she wil exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified of her, when thou shalt embrace her.✦Arripe illam, et exaltabit te ; glorificaberis ab ea cum eam fueris amplexatus.
9She will give to thy head increase of graces, and with a noble crown she will protect thee.She wil geue to thy head increase of graces, and with a noble crowne she wil protect thee.✦Dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum, et corona inclyta proteget te.
10Hear my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.Heare my sonne, and receiue my wordes, that yeares of life may be multiplied to thee.✦Audi, fili mi, et suscipe verba mea, ut multiplicentur tibi anni vitæ.
11The way of wisdom I will show to thee, I will lead thee by the paths of equity.The way of wisdom I wil shew to thee, I wil leade thee by the pathes of equitie.✦Viam sapientiæ monstrabo tibi ; ducam te per semitas æquitatis :
12Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be arctabuntur: made straight; narrowed, confined, cramped, and running thou shalt not have a stumbling block.Which when thou shalt haue entered, thy steppes shal not be straytened, and running thou shalt not haue a stumbling blocke.✦quas cum ingressus fueris, non arctabuntur gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum.
13Hold discipline, leave it not: keep it, because the same is thy life.Hold discipline, leaue it not: kepe it, because the same is thy life.✦Tene disciplinam, ne dimittas eam ; custodi illam, quia ipsa est vita tua.
14Be not delighted in the paths of the impious, neither let the way of the evil please thee.Be not delighted in the pathes of the impious, neither let the way of the euil please thee.✦Ne delecteris in semitis impiorum, nec tibi placeat malorum via.
15Flee from it, neither pass thou by it: go aside, and forsake it.Flee from it, neither passe thou by it: goe aside, and forsake it.✦Fuge ab ea, nec transeas per illam ; declina, et desere eam.
16For they sleep not unless they have done ill: and they take no sleep unless they supplantaverint: displace, take the place of; trip up, overthrow by treachery.For they sleepe not vnlesse they haue done il: and they take no sleepe vnlesse they supplant.✦Non enim dormiunt nisi malefecerint, et rapitur somnus ab eis nisi supplantaverint.
17They eat the bread of impiety, and drink the wine of iniquity.They eate the bread of impietie, and drinke the wine of iniquitie.✦Comedunt panem impietatis, et vinum iniquitatis bibunt.
18But the path of the just, as shining light proceedeth even to perfect day.But the path of the iust, as shyning light proceedeth euen to perfect day.✦Justorum autem semita quasi lux splendens procedit, et crescit usque ad perfectam diem.
19The way of the impious is darksome: they know not where they fall.The way of the impious is darkesom: they know not where they fal.Via impiorum tenebrosa ; nesciunt ubi corruant.
20My son, hear my words, and incline thine ear to my sayings.My sonne, heare my wordes, and incline thyne eare to my sayinges.Fili mi, ausculta sermones meos, et ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart.Let them not depart from thyne eies, kepe them in the middes of thy hart.Ne recedant ab oculis tuis : custodi ea in medio cordis tui :
22For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.For they are life to those that finde them, and health to al flesh.vita enim sunt invenientibus ea, et universæ carni sanitas.
23With all guard keep thy heart, because life proceedeth from it.With al garde keepe thy hart, because life proceedeth from it.Omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit.
24Remove from thee a pravum: perverse, crooked, wayward mouth, and let detrahentia: diminishing, disparaging; slandering, backbiting lips be far from thee.Remoue from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lippes be far from thee.Remove a te os pravum, et detrahentia labia sint procul a te.
25Let thine eyes see right things, and let thine eyelids go before thy steps.Let thyne eies see right thinges, & let thine eieliddes goe before thy steppes.Oculi tui recta videant, et palpebræ tuæ præcedant gressus tuos.
26Direct the path to thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.Direct the path to thy feete, and al thy wayes shal be established.Dirige semitam pedibus tuis, et omnes viæ tuæ stabilientur.
27Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil.Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turne away thy foote from euil.Ne declines ad dexteram neque ad sinistram ; averte pedem tuum a malo : vias enim quæ a dextris sunt novit Dominus : perversæ vero sunt quæ a sinistris sunt. Ipse autem rectos faciet cursus tuos, itinera autem tua in pace producet.
28For our Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse, which are on the left hand.For our Lord knoweth the wayes that are on the right hand: but those are peruers, which are on the left hand.
29But he will make thy courses right, and thy ways he will bring forward in peace.But he wil make thy courses right, and thy wayes he wil bring forward in peace.
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.