Proverbs 4
1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
2 For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
3 When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
4 he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
8 Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
10 Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
11 I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
13 Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
15 Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
[But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
21 Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
24 Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
26 Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
