Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
Audite filii disciplinam patris, et attendite ut sciatis prudentiam.
2 For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
Donum bonum tribuam vobis, legem meam ne derelinquatis.
3 For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
Nam et ego filius fui patris mei, tenellus, et unigenitus coram matre mea:
4 And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
et docebat me, atque dicebat: Suscipiat verba mea cor tuum, custodi praecepta mea, et vives.
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
Posside sapientiam, posside prudentiam: ne obliviscaris, neque declines a verbis oris mei.
6 Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
Ne dimittas eam, et custodiet te: dilige eam, et conservabit te.
7 The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
Principium sapientiae, posside sapientiam, et in omni possessione tua acquire prudentiam:
8 Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
arripe illam, et exaltabit te: glorificaberis ab ea, cum eam fueris amplexatus.
9 She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
dabit capiti tuo augmenta gratiarum, et corona inclyta proteget te.
10 Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
Audi fili mi, et suscipe verba mea, ut multiplicentur tibi anni vitae.
11 In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
Viam sapientiae monstrabo tibi, ducam te per semitas aequitatis:
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
quas cum ingressus fueris, non arctabuntur gressus tui, et currens non habebis offendiculum.
13 Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
Tene disciplinam, ne dimittas eam: custodi illam, quia ipsa est via tua.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
Ne delecteris in semitis impiorum, nec tibi placeat malorum via.
15 Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
Fuge ab ea, nec transeas per illam: declina, et desere eam.
16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
non enim dormiunt nisi malefecerint: et non capitur somnus ab eis nisi supplantaverint.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
comedunt panem impietatis, et vinum iniquitatis bibunt.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
Iustorum autem semita quasi lux splendens, procedit et crescit usque ad perfectam diem.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
Via impiorum tenebrosa: nesciunt ubi corruant.
20 My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
Fili mi, ausculta sermones meos, et ad eloquia mea inclina aurem tuam.
21 Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy heart.
ne recedant ab oculis tuis, custodi ea in medio cordis tui:
22 For they are life unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
vita enim sunt invenientibus ea, et universae carni sanitas.
23 Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
Omni custodia serva cor tuum, quia ex ipso vita procedit.
24 Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
Remove a te os pravum, et detrahentia labia sint procul a te.
25 Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
Oculi tui recta videant, et palpebrae tuae praecedant gressus tuos.
26 Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
Dirige semitam pedibus tuis, et omnes viae tuae stabilientur.
27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
Ne declines ad dexteram, neque ad sinistram: averte pedem tuum a malo. vias enim, quae a dextris sunt, novit Dominus: perversae vero sunt quae a sinistris sunt. Ipse autem rectos faciet cursus tuos, itinera autem tua in pace producet.
