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, that ye may learn understanding!
2 For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.
For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.
3 For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before my mother.
For I was my father's son, A tender and only child 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.
He taught me, and said to 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, and depart not 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 guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain understanding.
8 Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.
Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, 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 graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon 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! So shall the years of thy life 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 the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.
12 In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when 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 go 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 upon it, Turn from it, and go 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 sleep not, unless they have done mischief; Yea, their sleep is taken away, unless they have caused 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, Which groweth brighter and brighter 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 thick 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 to 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 to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
23 Above every charge keep your heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.
24 Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,
Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.
25 Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.
Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.
Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.
27 Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!
Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
