Proverbs 4
1 Hear, you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you a good gift; forsake you not my law.
For I give you good doctrine. Forsake ye not my law.
3 For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:
For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in your heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
And he taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5 and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth.
6 And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to you: love it, and it shall keep you.
Do not forsake her, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee.
Wisdom is the principal thing. Get wisdom, yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Secure it, and it shall exalt you: honour it, that it may embrace you;
Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her.
9 that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and may cover you with a crown of delight.
She will give to thy head a garland of grace, a crown of beauty she will deliver to thee.
10 Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of your life shall be increased, that the resources of your life may be many.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 For I teach you the ways of wisdom; and I cause you to go in right paths.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
12 For when you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not be distressed.
When thou go, thy steps shall not be restricted. And if thou run, thou shall not stumble.
13 Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for yourself for your life.
Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
15 In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not there; but turn from them, and pass away.
Avoid it. Do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16 For they can’t sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
For they do not sleep unless they do evil. And their sleep is taken away unless they cause to fall.
17 For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shines more and more to the perfect day.
19 But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
The way of the wicked is as darkness. They know not at what they stumble.
20 [My] son, attend to my speech; and apply your ear to my words:
My son, attend to my words. Incline thine ear to my sayings.
21 that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in [your] heart.
Let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Remove from you a froward mouth, and put far away from you unjust lips.
Put away from thee a wayward mouth, and put perverse lips far from thee.
25 Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids assent [to] just [things].
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Make straight paths for your feet, and order your ways aright.
Make the path of thy feet level, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away your foot from an evil way.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left. Remove thy foot from evil.
