Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
Hear, you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
For I give you a good gift; forsake you not my law.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight 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.
who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in your heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to you: love it, and it shall keep you.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
Secure it, and it shall exalt you: honour it, that it may embrace you;
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and may cover you with a crown of delight.
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of your life shall be increased, that the resources of your life may be many.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
For I teach you the ways of wisdom; and I cause you to go in right paths.
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
For when you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not be distressed.
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for yourself for your life.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not there; but turn from them, and pass away.
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
For they can’t sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply your ear to my words:
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in [your] heart.
22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
Keep your heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Remove from you a froward mouth, and put far away from you unjust lips.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids assent [to] just [things].
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Make straight paths for your feet, and order your ways aright.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away your foot from an evil way.
