Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
For, a son, became I to my father, tender and most precious 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.
So he taught me, and said to me—Let thy heart, lay hold of my words, Keep my commandments and live!
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, Do not forget, neither decline thou 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 will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, 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 for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
In the way of wisdom, have I taught thee, I have guided thee in tracks of uprightness.
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if 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 correction, 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.
Upon the path of the lawless, do not thou enter, and do not advance in the way of the wicked:
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
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 can do mischief, —They rob themselves of their sleep, if they cannot cause someone to stumble,
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
For they consume bread gotten by lawlessness, and, wine obtained by violence, they drink.
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, —going on and brightening, unto meridian day.
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
The way of the lawless, is like darkness, they know not, at what they stumble.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
My son, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
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, life, they are, to them who find them, —and, to every part of one’s flesh, they bring healing.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
Above all that must be guarded, keep thou thy heart, for, out of it, are the issues of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
