Proverbs 4
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
When I was a young boy, loved by 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.
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
[But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
