Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
For I give you good doctrine. Forsake ye not my law.
3 For, a son, became I to my father, tender and most precious in the sight of my mother.
For I was a son to my father, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 So he taught me, and said to me—Let thy heart, lay hold of my words, Keep my commandments and live!
And he taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, Do not forget, neither decline thou from the sayings of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding. Do not forget, nor decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
Do not forsake her, and she will preserve thee. Love her, and she will keep thee.
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing. Get wisdom, yea, with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
Exalt her, and she will promote thee. She will bring thee to honor when thou embrace her.
9 She will give for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
She will give to thy head a garland of grace, a crown of beauty she will deliver to thee.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 In the way of wisdom, have I taught thee, I have guided thee in tracks of uprightness.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom. I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When thou go, thy steps shall not be restricted. And if thou run, thou shall not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of correction, let her not go, —keep her, for, she, is thy life.
Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Upon the path of the lawless, do not thou enter, and do not advance in the way of the wicked:
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and walk not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Avoid it. Do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16 For they sleep not, unless they can do mischief, —They rob themselves of their sleep, if they cannot cause someone to stumble,
For they do not sleep unless they do evil. And their sleep is taken away unless they cause to fall.
17 For they consume bread gotten by lawlessness, and, wine obtained by violence, they drink.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 But, the path of the righteous, is as the light of dawn, —going on and brightening, unto meridian day.
But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, that shines more and more to the perfect day.
19 The way of the lawless, is like darkness, they know not, at what they stumble.
The way of the wicked is as darkness. They know not at what they stumble.
20 My son, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
My son, attend to my words. Incline thine 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 thine eyes. Keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22 For, life, they are, to them who find them, —and, to every part of one’s flesh, they bring healing.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Above all that must be guarded, keep thou thy heart, for, out of it, are the issues of life.
Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Put away from thee a wayward mouth, and put perverse lips far from thee.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Make the path of thy feet level, and let all thy ways be established.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left. Remove thy foot from evil.
