< 箴言 4 >
Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
3 我在父親面前為孝子, 在母親眼中為獨一的嬌兒。
For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
4 父親教訓我說:你心要存記我的言語, 遵守我的命令,便得存活。
And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
5 要得智慧,要得聰明,不可忘記, 也不可偏離我口中的言語。
Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
6 不可離棄智慧,智慧就護衛你; 要愛她,她就保守你。
Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
7 智慧為首; 所以,要得智慧。 在你一切所得之內必得聰明。
The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
8 高舉智慧,她就使你高升; 懷抱智慧,她就使你尊榮。
Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
12 你行走,腳步必不致狹窄; 你奔跑,也不致跌倒。
When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
13 要持定訓誨,不可放鬆; 必當謹守,因為它是你的生命。
Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
16 這等人若不行惡,不得睡覺; 不使人跌倒,睡臥不安;
For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
18 但義人的路好像黎明的光, 越照越明,直到日午。
But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 因為得着它的,就得了生命, 又得了醫全體的良藥。
For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
23 你要保守你心,勝過保守一切, 因為一生的果效是由心發出。
Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.