< Proverbs 4 >

1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
audite filii disciplinam patris et adtendite ut sciatis prudentiam
2 for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
donum bonum tribuam vobis legem meam ne derelinquatis
3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
nam et ego filius fui patris mei tenellus et unigenitus coram matre mea
4 And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
et docebat me atque dicebat suscipiat verba mea cor tuum custodi praecepta mea et vives
5 Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
posside sapientiam posside prudentiam ne obliviscaris neque declines a verbis oris mei
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
ne dimittas eam et custodiet te dilige eam et servabit te
7 The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
principium sapientiae posside sapientiam et in omni possessione tua adquire prudentiam
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
arripe illam et exaltabit te glorificaberis ab ea cum eam fueris amplexatus
9 She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum et corona inclita proteget te
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
audi fili mi et suscipe verba mea ut multiplicentur tibi anni vitae
11 I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
viam sapientiae monstravi tibi duxi te per semitas aequitatis
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
quas cum ingressus fueris non artabuntur gressus tui et currens non habebis offendiculum
13 Take fast hold of instruction, let [her] not go: keep her, for she is thy life.
tene disciplinam ne dimittas eam custodi illam quia ipsa est vita tua
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil [men]:
ne delecteris semitis impiorum nec tibi placeat malorum via
15 avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass away.
fuge ab ea ne transeas per illam declina et desere eam
16 For they sleep not except they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
non enim dormiunt nisi malefecerint et rapitur somnus ab eis nisi subplantaverint
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
comedunt panem impietatis et vinum iniquitatis bibunt
18 But the path of the righteous is as the shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
iustorum autem semita quasi lux splendens procedit et crescit usque ad perfectam diem
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
via impiorum tenebrosa nesciunt ubi corruant
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
fili mi ausculta sermones meos et ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
ne recedant ab oculis tuis custodi ea in medio cordis tui
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
vita enim sunt invenientibus ea et universae carni sanitas
23 Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
omni custodia serva cor tuum quia ex ipso vita procedit
24 Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
remove a te os pravum et detrahentia labia sint procul a te
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
oculi tui recta videant et palpebrae tuae praecedant gressus tuos
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
dirige semitam pedibus tuis et omnes viae tuae stabilientur
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
ne declines ad dexteram et ad sinistram averte pedem tuum a malo

< Proverbs 4 >