Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Listen, sons, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.
2 For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching.
I am giving you good instructions; do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one in the sight of my mother.
When I was a son of my father, the tender and only child of my mother,
4 And he taught me, and said unto me: 'Let thy heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live;
he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commands and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
Acquire wisdom and understanding; do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;
6 Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; love her, and she will keep thee.
do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you; love her and she will keep you safe.
7 The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom and spend all you own so you can get understanding.
8 Extol her, and she will exalt thee; she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.
9 She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'
She will put a wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words, and you will have many years in your life.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
I direct you in the way of wisdom; I lead you down straight paths.
12 When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When you walk, no one will stand in your way and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life.
Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it, for it is your life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
Do not follow the path of the wicked and do not go along the way of those who do evil.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.
Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it and go another way.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
For they cannot sleep until they do evil and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
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 righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter; it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.
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 do not know what it is they stumble over.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
Do not let them turn away from your eyes; keep them in your heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
For my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.
23 Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life.
Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
Put crooked speech away from you and put corrupt talk far from you.
25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze straight before you.
26 Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
