Proverbs 4

1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;

Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

2 for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.

For I give you good doctrine. Forsake ye not my law.

3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

4 He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

And he taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

5 Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, and do not deviate from the words of my mouth.

Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth.

6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

Do not forsake her, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee.

7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

Wisdom is the principal thing. Get wisdom, yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.

Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her.

9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

She will give to thy head a garland of grace, a crown of beauty she will deliver to thee.

10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many.

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

When thou go, thy steps shall not be restricted. And if thou run, thou shall not stumble.

13 Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is thy life.

14 Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.

15 Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

Avoid it. Do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

16 For they do not sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

For they do not sleep unless they do evil. And their sleep is taken away unless they cause to fall.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

18 But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.

But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shines more and more to the perfect day.

19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.

The way of the wicked is as darkness. They know not at what they stumble.

20 My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

My son, attend to my words. Incline thine ear to my sayings.

21 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.

Let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep them in the midst of thy heart.

22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

Put away from thee a wayward mouth, and put perverse lips far from thee.

25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.

Make the path of thy feet level, and let all thy ways be established.

27 Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left. Remove thy foot from evil.