Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend, that ye may learn understanding!
2 for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.
For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.
3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
For I was my father's son, A tender and only child 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.
He taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart hold fast 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; Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
Forsake her not, and she will guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.
7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain 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 dost 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 graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon 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! So shall the years of thy life be many.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
I have taught thee the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not 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 go not in the way of evil men;
15 Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
Avoid it, pass not upon it, Turn from it, and go away.
16 For they do not sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
For they sleep not, unless they have done mischief; Yea, their sleep is taken away, unless they have caused some 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 light of dawn, Which groweth brighter and brighter unto 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 thick 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.
More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.
24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.
26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.
27 Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
