Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before 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.
And he directs me, and he says to me: “Let your heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, Love her, and she keeps you.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
She gives a wreath of grace to your head, She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to you.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
I have directed you in a way of wisdom, I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] your life.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Do not enter into the path of the wicked, And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Avoid it, do not pass over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
For they do not sleep if they do no evil, And their sleep has been taken away violently, If they do not cause [some] to stumble.
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And they drink wine of violence.
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening until the day is established,
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
My son, give 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 let them turn aside from your eyes, Preserve them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
For they [are] life to those finding them, And healing to all their flesh.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
Above every charge keep your heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!
