Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 For I give you a good gift; forsake ye not my law.
For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.
3 For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:
For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before my mother.
4 who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
And he directs me, and he says to me: “Let your heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
6 And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee: love it, and it shall keep thee.
Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, Love her, and she keeps you.
The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.
8 Secure it, and it shall exalt thee: honour it, that it may embrace thee;
Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.
9 that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight.
She gives a wreath of grace to your head, She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”
10 Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of thy life shall be increased, that the resources of thy life may be many.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to you.
11 For I teach thee the ways of wisdom; and I cause thee to go in right paths.
I have directed you in a way of wisdom, I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed.
In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.
13 Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for thyself for thy life.
Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] your life.
14 Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
Do not enter into the path of the wicked, And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.
15 In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away.
Avoid it, do not pass over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
16 For they cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
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 these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And they drink wine of violence.
18 But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening until the day is established,
19 But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 [My] son, attend to my speech; and apply thine ear to my words:
My son, give attention to my words, Incline your ear to my sayings,
21 that thy fountains may not fail thee; keep them in [thine] 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 that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.
For they [are] life to those finding them, And healing to all their flesh.
23 Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
Above every charge keep your heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips.
Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids assent [to] just [things].
Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.
26 Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways aright.
Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.
27 Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way.
Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!
