Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend, that ye may learn understanding!
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
For I was my father's son, A tender and only child 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.
He taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
Forsake her not, and she will guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her;
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
She will give to thy head a graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon thee.
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
Hear, O my son! and receive my sayings! So shall the years of thy life be many.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
I have taught thee the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men;
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Avoid it, pass not upon it, Turn from it, and go away.
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
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 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.
But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, Which groweth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
The way of the wicked is as thick darkness; They know not at what they stumble.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear to my sayings;
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy 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 all their flesh.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
