Proverbs 4

1 Hear, all of you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake all of you not my law.

For I give you good doctrine. Forsake ye not my law.

3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let your heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

And he taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth.

6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.

Do not forsake her, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.

Wisdom is the principal thing. Get wisdom, yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

8 Exalt her, and she shall promote you: she shall bring you to honour, when you do embrace her.

Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her.

9 She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.

She will give to thy head a garland of grace, a crown of beauty she will deliver to thee.

10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of your life shall be many.

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many.

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

12 When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not stumble.

When thou go, thy steps shall not be restricted. And if thou run, thou shall not stumble.

13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your life.

Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is thy life.

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.

15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Avoid it. Do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

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 do evil. And their sleep is taken away unless they cause to fall.

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 just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.

But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shines more and more to the perfect day.

19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

The way of the wicked is as darkness. They know not at what they stumble.

20 My son, attend to my words; incline your ear unto my sayings.

My son, attend to my words. Incline thine ear to my sayings.

21 Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart.

Let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep 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 to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.

23 Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

24 Put away from you a perverse mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.

Put away from thee a wayward mouth, and put perverse lips far from thee.

25 Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.

Make the path of thy feet level, and let all thy ways be established.

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left. Remove thy foot from evil.