Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
3 For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
For, a son I have been to my father — tender, And an only one before my mother.
4 And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
And he directeth me, and he saith to me: 'Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
7 The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
The first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
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 sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.
11 In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
13 Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
15 Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside 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 sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
21 Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy heart.
Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.
22 For they are life unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.
23 Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
24 Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
25 Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
