Proverbs 4
1 Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
Hear, you 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 a good gift; forsake you not my law.
3 For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before my mother.
For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved 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.
who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in your heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, Love her, and she keeps you.
And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to you: love it, and it shall keep you.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.
Secure it, and it shall exalt you: honor it, that it may embrace you;
9 She gives a wreath of grace to your head, She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”
that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and may cover you with a crown of delight.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to you.
Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of your life shall be increased, that the resources of your life may be many.
11 I have directed you in a way of wisdom, I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.
For I teach you the ways of wisdom; and I cause you to go in right paths.
12 In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.
For when you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not be distressed.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] your life.
Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for yourself for your life.
14 Do not enter into the path of the wicked, And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.
Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
15 Avoid it, do not pass over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not there; but turn from them, and pass away.
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 can’t sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And they drink wine of violence.
For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
18 And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening until the day is established,
But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.
19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words, Incline your ear to my sayings,
[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply your ear to my words:
21 Do not let them turn aside from your eyes, Preserve them in the midst of your heart.
that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in [your] heart.
22 For they [are] life to those finding them, And healing to all their flesh.
For they are life to 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.
Keep your heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
24 Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,
Remove from you a froward mouth, and put far away from you unjust lips.
25 Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.
Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids assent [to] just [things].
26 Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.
Make straight paths for your feet, and order your ways aright.
27 Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!
Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away your foot from an evil way.
