Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and discover what makes sense,
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend, that ye may learn understanding!
2 for what I am passing on to you is reliable. Don't reject my teachings.
For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.
3 When I was a son with my father—a tender young boy, my mother's only child—
For I was my father's son, A tender and only child in the sight of my mother.
4 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.
He taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom, find out what makes sense. Don't forget my words or reject them.
Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth.
6 Don't give up on wisdom for she will keep you safe. Love wisdom and she will protect you.
Forsake her not, and she will guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.
7 The first thing in becoming wise is to get wisdom! Whatever else you gain, gain insight.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain understanding.
8 Treasure wisdom, and she will praise you; embrace her, and she will honor you.
Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her;
9 She will place on your head a wreath of grace; she will present to you a crown of glory.”
She will give to thy head a graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon thee.
10 Listen, my son, if you accept what I tell you, then you will live a long life.
Hear, O my son! and receive my sayings! So shall the years of thy life be many.
11 I have explained to you the way of wisdom; I have guided you along the right paths.
I have taught thee the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.
12 Nothing will block your way when you walk, you won't stumble when you run.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Hold on to these instructions—don't let them go. Protect them, for they are life's foundation.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Don't go the way of the wicked or follow the example of those who do evil.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men;
15 Avoid that way completely. Don't go there! Turn away, and walk on.
Avoid it, pass not upon it, Turn from it, and go away.
16 Evil people won't rest until they've done something wrong; they can't sleep unless they've tripped someone up.
For they sleep not, unless they have done mischief; Yea, their sleep is taken away, unless they have caused some to 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 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.
But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, Which groweth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
19 But the way of life of the wicked is like complete darkness; they don't even know what they're tripping over.
The way of the wicked is as thick darkness; They know not at what they stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I tell you; listen to the words I'm saying.
My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear to my sayings;
21 Don't lose sight of them; think about them deeply,
Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart!
22 for they are life to anyone who finds them, and make the whole body healthy.
For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
23 Most of all, protect your mind, for everything in life flows from it.
More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.
24 Don't ever lie, and don't say anything dishonest.
Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.
25 Focus on what's ahead of you; look at what's in front of you.
Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.
26 Pay attention to the path you decide to follow, and you'll be safe wherever you go.
Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.
27 Don't deviate to the right or the left, and turn away from evil.
Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
