Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
2 For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
3 For, a son, became I to my father, tender and most precious in the sight of my mother.
When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child 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!
he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will 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 my words or turn from them.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 She will give for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
11 In the way of wisdom, have I taught thee, I have guided thee in tracks of uprightness.
I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of correction, let her not go, —keep her, for, she, is thy life.
Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Upon the path of the lawless, do not thou enter, and do not advance in the way of the wicked:
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
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 cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone 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.
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 The way of the lawless, is like darkness, they know not, at what they stumble.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart;
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your 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 the whole body.
23 Above all that must be guarded, keep thou thy heart, for, out of it, are the issues of life.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
24 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
