< Proverbs 4 >
1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
Pa kah thuituennah te ca rhoek loh hnatun saeh lamtah yakmingnah dang hamla hnatung saeh.
2 For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
Nangmih taengah aka then rhingtuknah kam paek coeng dongah ka olkhueng he hnoo boeh.
3 When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
Ka camoe vaengah a pa taengah mongkawt la, a nu mikhmuh ah oingaih cangloeng la ka om.
4 he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
Te vaengah kai n'thuinuet tih kamah taengah, “Ka ol he na lungbuei ah dueh lamtah ka olpaek ngaithuen neh hing puei.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
Cueihnah te lai lamtah yakmingnah khaw lai lah. Ka ka dong lamkah olthui he hnilh boeh, phaelh boeh.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
Cueihnah te hnoo boeh, na lungnah daengah ni namah te n'ngaithuen vetih nang te n'kueinah eh.
7 Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
Cueihnah he ni tanglue, cueihnah he lai lamtah na hnopai boeih nen khaw yakmingnah he lai lah.
8 Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
Cueihnah te picai lamtah namah te n'pomsang bitni. Namah te n'thangpom atah amah te kop van.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Na lu dongah mikdaithen kah lukhueng la om vetih nang taengah boeimang rhuisam han tloeng ni.
10 Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
Ka ca ka hnatun lamtah ka olthui he doe lah. Te daengah ni na hingnah ah kum loh nang hamla a puh eh.
11 I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
Cueihnah longpuei neh nang te ka thuinuet vetih duengnah namtlak ah nang te kan cuuk sak ni.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
Na caeh vaengah na khokan loh puenca pawt vetih na yong vaengah tongtah mahpawh.
13 Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
Thuituennah te tu lamtah hlong boeh, na hingnah hamla kueinah.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
Halang kah caehlong ah pongpa boeh, boethae rhoek kah longpuei dongah uem puei boeh.
15 Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
Te te dul laeh, a taengla paan boeh. A taeng lamloh taengphael lamtah khum tak.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
Thaehuet pawt atah ip uh tloel dae a ih loh a hmil atah hlang paloe sak ham te paloe sak uh thai pawh.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
Halangnah buh te a ang uh tih kuthlahnah misurtui tul uh thae.
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
Khothaih kah khosae a cikngae vanbangla aka dueng kah caehlong khaw khosae kah a aa bangla a thoeng pah.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
Halang rhoek kah longpuei tah khohmuep bangla om tih mebang neh a tongtah khaw ming uh pawh.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Ka ca, ka ol he hnatung lamtah ka olthui he na hna kaeng lah.
21 Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
Na mik long khaw khohmang boel saeh lamtah na thinko khui ah te te ngaithuen.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
Te te aka hmuh rhoek ham tah amamih kah hingnah neh a pumsa boeih ham khaw hoeihnah la om.
23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Na lungbuei te kueinah khingrhing lah hingnah kah a dawn tah te lamkah ni.
24 Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
Ka dongkah olhmaang te na taeng lamloh thaek lamtah hmuilai dongkah olrhong oling khaw namah lamloh lakhla sak.
25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
Na mik loh phek paelki saeh lamtah na mikkhu loh namah hmaiah buelh dueng saeh.
26 Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
Na kho ham namtlak te saelh pah saeh lamtah na longpuei khaw boeih cikngae saeh.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
Banvoei bantang la phael boeh, na kho te a thae dong lamloh hoeptlang lah.