Proverbs 4
1 Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
2 For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.
I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
3 For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before my mother.
For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
4 And he directs me, and he says to me: “Let your heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, Love her, and she keeps you.
Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.
The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
8 Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.
Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
9 She gives a wreath of grace to your head, She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”
She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to you.
Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
11 I have directed you in a way of wisdom, I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.
I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
12 In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.
When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] your life.
Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Do not enter into the path of the wicked, And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.
Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
15 Avoid it, do not pass over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
16 For they do not sleep if they do no evil, And their sleep has been taken away violently, If they do not cause [some] to stumble.
For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And they drink wine of violence.
They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
18 And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening until the day is established,
But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
20 My son, give attention to my words, Incline your ear to my sayings,
My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
21 Do not let them turn aside from your eyes, Preserve them in the midst of your heart.
Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they [are] life to those finding them, And healing to all their flesh.
For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
23 Above every charge keep your heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
24 Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,
Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
25 Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.
Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
27 Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!
Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.
