Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
Hear, you children, 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 you 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 my father’s son, 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!
He taught me also, and said to me, Let your 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: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your 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 shall promote you: she shall bring you to honor, when you do embrace her.
9 She will give for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.
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 your 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 you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of correction, let her not go, —keep her, for, she, is thy life.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your 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 go not in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
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 sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some 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 just is as the shining 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 your 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 your eyes; keep them in the middle of 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 that 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 your 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 you a fraudulent mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your 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 your foot from evil.
