Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
3 For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
24 Put away from thee a perverse mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be 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 let your eyelids precede your steps.
26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.
