Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend, that ye may learn understanding!
Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:
2 For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.
For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.
3 For I was my father's son, A tender and only child in the sight of my mother.
For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.
4 He taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments, and live.
And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she will guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.
Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain understanding.
The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her;
Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.
9 She will give to thy head a graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon thee.
She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.
10 Hear, O my son! and receive my sayings! So shall the years of thy life be many.
Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.
11 I have taught thee the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.
I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.
Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men;
Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not upon it, Turn from it, and go away.
Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.
16 For they sleep not, unless they have done mischief; Yea, their sleep is taken away, unless they have caused some to fall.
For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.
The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, Which groweth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.
19 The way of the wicked is as thick darkness; They know not at what they stumble.
The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.
20 My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear to my sayings;
My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart!
Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.
23 More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.
And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.
24 Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.
Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.
25 Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.
Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.
26 Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.
Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.
27 Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.
