< Proverbs 4 >
1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
Audite filii disciplinam patris, et attendite ut sciatis prudentiam.
2 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
Donum bonum tribuam vobis, legem meam ne derelinquatis.
3 For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
Nam et ego filius fui patris mei, tenellus, et unigenitus coram matre mea:
4 When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue.
et docebat me, atque dicebat: Suscipiat verba mea cor tuum, custodi praecepta mea, et vives.
5 Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
Posside sapientiam, posside prudentiam: ne obliviscaris, neque declines a verbis oris mei.
6 Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
Ne dimittas eam, et custodiet te: dilige eam, et conservabit te.
7 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
Principium sapientiae, posside sapientiam, et in omni possessione tua acquire prudentiam:
8 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
arripe illam, et exaltabit te: glorificaberis ab ea, cum eam fueris amplexatus.
9 She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.
dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum, et corona inclyta proteget te.
10 Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
Audi fili mi, et suscipe verba mea, ut multiplicentur tibi anni vitae.
11 I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
Viam sapientiae monstrabo tibi, ducam te per semitas aequitatis:
12 Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
quas cum ingressus fueris, non arctabuntur gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum.
13 Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.
Tene disciplinam, ne dimittas eam: custodi illam, quia ipsa est via tua.
14 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
Ne delecteris in semitis impiorum, nec tibi placeat malorum via.
15 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
Fuge ab ea, nec transeas per illam: declina, et desere eam.
16 For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
non enim dormiunt nisi malefecerint: et non capitur somnus ab eis nisi supplantaverint.
17 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
comedunt panem impietatis, et vinum iniquitatis bibunt.
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
Iustorum autem semita quasi lux splendens, procedit et crescit usque ad perfectam diem.
19 The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.
Via impiorum tenebrosa: nesciunt ubi corruant.
20 My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
Fili mi, ausculta sermones meos, et ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
ne recedant ab oculis tuis, custodi ea in medio cordis tui:
22 For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
vita enim sunt invenientibus ea, et universae carni sanitas.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
Omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
Remove a te os pravum, et detrahentia labia sint procul a te.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
Oculi tui recta videant, et palpebrae tuae praecedant gressus tuos.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
Dirige semitam pedibus tuis, et omnes viae tuae stabilientur.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
Ne declines ad dexteram, neque ad sinistram: averte pedem tuum a malo. vias enim, quae a dextris sunt, novit Dominus: perversae vero sunt quae a sinistris sunt. Ipse autem rectos faciet cursus tuos, itinera autem tua in pace producet.