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 that you may know prudence.
2 For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.
I will give you a good gift, forsake 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 my father’s son, tender and as an only son 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.
And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she will guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.
Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain understanding.
The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her;
Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.
9 She will give to thy head a graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon thee.
She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.
10 Hear, O my son! and receive my sayings! So shall the years of thy life be many.
Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.
11 I have taught thee the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.
I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.
Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.
14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men;
Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.
15 Avoid it, pass not upon it, Turn from it, and go away.
Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.
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 sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.
They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, Which groweth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is as thick darkness; They know not at what they stumble.
The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.
20 My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear to my sayings;
My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart!
Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy 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 flesh.
23 More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.
With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.
24 Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.
Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.
25 Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.
Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.
26 Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.
Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.
27 Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.
