Proverbs 4
1 Hear, you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 For I give you a good gift; forsake you not my law.
For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
3 For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:
For, a son I have been to my father — tender, And an only one before my mother.
4 who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in your heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
And he directeth me, and he saith to me: 'Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
6 And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to you: love it, and it shall keep you.
Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
The first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Secure it, and it shall exalt you: honor it, that it may embrace you;
Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
9 that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and may cover you with a crown of delight.
She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
10 Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of your life shall be increased, that the resources of your life may be many.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.
11 For I teach you the ways of wisdom; and I cause you to go in right paths.
In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 For when you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not be distressed.
In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
13 Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for yourself for your life.
Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.
14 Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
15 In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not there; but turn from them, and pass away.
Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
16 For they can’t sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble.
17 For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.
18 But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,
19 But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 [My] son, attend to my speech; and apply your ear to my words:
My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
21 that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in [your] heart.
Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.
For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.
23 Keep your heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
24 Remove from you a froward mouth, and put far away from you unjust lips.
Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
25 Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids assent [to] just [things].
Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Make straight paths for your feet, and order your ways aright.
Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.
27 Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away your foot from an evil way.
Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
