Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
2 for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
4 And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
11 I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
16 For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
23 Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
24 Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
