< 箴言 4 >
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2 因為我把好教訓授給你們,你們不要拋棄我的規勸。
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
3 我也曾在父親面前作過孝子,在我母親膝下是唯一的嬌兒。
For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
4 我父曾訓誨我說:你應留心牢記我的話,遵守我的命令,好使你生存;
He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5 你應緊握智慧,握住明智,不要忘記,也不要離棄我口中的教訓:
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6 你若不捨棄她,她必護佑你;你若喜愛她,她必看顧你。
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7 首先應爭取的是智慧,因此你應尋求智慧,應犧牲一切去爭取明智。
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8 你若顯揚智慧,智慧也必顯揚你;你若懷抱她,她也必光榮你:
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
12 這樣,你若行走,你的腳決不會受阻礙;即便你奔馳,也決不致顛仆。
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13 你要堅持教訓,切勿把她拋棄;你應保存她,因為她是你的生命。
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
14 惡人的道路,你不要進去;壞人的途徑,你不要踏入;
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16 因為他們不作惡,不能入睡;不使人跌倒,就要失眠。
For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 但是,義人的途徑,像黎明的曙光,越來越明亮,直至成日中;
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
19 惡人的道路,卻宛如幽暗,他們不知道,要跌在何處。
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
22 因為,凡找著她的,必獲得生命;他整個身軀,必獲得健康。
For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
23 在一切之上,你要謹守你的心,因為生命是由此而生。
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.