Proverbs 4
1 Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.
For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my teaching.
3 For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before my mother.
For I was a son unto my father, tender and an only one 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 said unto me: 'Let thy heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments, and live;
5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding; forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
6 Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, Love her, and she keeps you.
Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; love her, and she will keep thee.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.
The beginning of wisdom is: Get wisdom; yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.
Extol her, and she will exalt thee; she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She gives a wreath of grace to your head, She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”
She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on thee.'
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to you.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have directed you in a way of wisdom, I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
12 In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.
When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; and if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] your life.
Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Do not enter into the path of the wicked, And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.
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 sleep not, except they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And they drink wine of violence.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
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 righteous is as the light of dawn, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words, Incline your ear to my sayings,
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Do not let them turn aside from your eyes, Preserve them in the midst of your heart.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22 For they [are] life to those finding them, And healing to all their flesh.
For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Above every charge keep your heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25 Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.
Make plain the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.
