Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching.
For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
4 And he taught me, and said unto me: 'Let thy heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live;
And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; love her, and she will keep thee.
Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
7 The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
8 Extol her, and she will exalt thee; she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
9 She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'
She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
12 When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life.
Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.
Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
For they sleep not, except they have done evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
But the path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble.
The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
For they are life unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
23 Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life.
Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
26 Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
