Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.
Listen, sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and discover what makes sense,
2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.
for what I am passing on to you is reliable. Don't reject my teachings.
3 For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:
When I was a son with my father—a tender young boy, my mother's only child—
4 And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
he was the one who taught me. He told me, “Pay attention to the words I say and keep them in mind; do what I tell you and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom, find out what makes sense. Don't forget my words or reject them.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
Don't give up on wisdom for she will keep you safe. Love wisdom and she will protect you.
7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
The first thing in becoming wise is to get wisdom! Whatever else you gain, gain insight.
8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
Treasure wisdom, and she will praise you; embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
She will place on your head a wreath of grace; she will present to you a crown of glory.”
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
Listen, my son, if you accept what I tell you, then you will live a long life.
11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
I have explained to you the way of wisdom; I have guided you along the right paths.
12 Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
Nothing will block your way when you walk, you won't stumble when you run.
13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
Hold on to these instructions—don't let them go. Protect them, for they are life's foundation.
14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
Don't go the way of the wicked or follow the example of those who do evil.
15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
Avoid that way completely. Don't go there! Turn away, and walk on.
16 For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
Evil people won't rest until they've done something wrong; they can't sleep unless they've tripped someone up.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
The way of life of the good is like the light of the sunrise, glowing brighter and brighter until the full light of day shines out.
19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
But the way of life of the wicked is like complete darkness; they don't even know what they're tripping over.
20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
My son, pay attention to what I tell you; listen to the words I'm saying.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:
Don't lose sight of them; think about them deeply,
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.
for they are life to anyone who finds them, and make the whole body healthy.
23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
Most of all, protect your mind, for everything in life flows from it.
24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
Don't ever lie, and don't say anything dishonest.
25 Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
Focus on what's ahead of you; look at what's in front of you.
26 Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
Pay attention to the path you decide to follow, and you'll be safe wherever you go.
27 Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
Don't deviate to the right or the left, and turn away from evil.
