Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2 For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
3 For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child 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.
He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8 Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
9 She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
10 Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
11 In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13 Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
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 path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
20 My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy heart.
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of 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 who find them, and health to their whole body.
23 Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24 Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25 Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
