Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend, that ye may learn understanding!
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.
For I give you a good gift; forsake ye not my law.
3 For I was my father's son, A tender and only child in the sight of my mother.
For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:
4 He taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments, and live.
who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth.
and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she will guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.
And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee: love it, and it shall keep thee.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her;
Secure it, and it shall exalt thee: honour it, that it may embrace thee;
9 She will give to thy head a graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon thee.
that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight.
10 Hear, O my son! and receive my sayings! So shall the years of thy life be many.
Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of thy life shall be increased, that the resources of thy life may be many.
11 I have taught thee the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.
For I teach thee the ways of wisdom; and I cause thee to go in right paths.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.
Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for thyself for thy life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men;
Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
15 Avoid it, pass not upon it, Turn from it, and go away.
In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away.
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 cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.
For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, Which groweth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
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 thick darkness; They know not at what they stumble.
But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.
20 My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear to my sayings;
[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply thine ear to my words:
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart!
that thy fountains may not fail thee; keep them in [thine] heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.
23 More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.
Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
24 Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips.
25 Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids assent [to] just [things].
26 Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.
Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways aright.
27 Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way.
