Proverbs 4
1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.
3 When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before 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 directs me, and he says to me: “Let your heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, Love her, and she keeps you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.
8 Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
She gives a wreath of grace to your head, She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”
10 Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to you.
11 I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
I have directed you in a way of wisdom, I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
Do not enter into the path of the wicked, And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
Avoid it, do not pass over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
For they do not sleep if they do no evil, And their sleep has been taken away violently, If they do not cause [some] to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And they drink wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening until the day is established,
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
My son, give attention to my words, Incline your ear to my sayings,
21 Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
Do not let them turn aside from your eyes, Preserve 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 finding them, And healing to all their flesh.
23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
Above every charge keep your heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
24 Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,
25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.
26 Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!
