Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
4 When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue.
he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
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 the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
