Proverbs 4
1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
2 For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
3 When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
4 he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
8 Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
10 Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
11 I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
13 Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
15 Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
21 Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
24 Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
26 Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
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.
