Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Hear, you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
For I give you a good gift; forsake you not my law.
3 For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:
4 And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in your heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to you: love it, and it shall keep you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
8 Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
Secure it, and it shall exalt you: honour it, that it may embrace you;
9 She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and may cover you with a crown of delight.
10 Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
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.
11 In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
For I teach you the ways of wisdom; and I cause you to go in right paths.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
For when you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not be distressed.
13 Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for yourself for your life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
15 Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not there; but turn from them, and pass away.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
For they can’t sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
20 My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply your ear to my words:
21 Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy heart.
that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in [your] heart.
22 For they are life unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.
23 Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
Keep your heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
24 Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
Remove from you a froward mouth, and put far away from you unjust lips.
25 Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids assent [to] just [things].
26 Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
Make straight paths for your feet, and order your ways aright.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away your foot from an evil way.
