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 a good gift; 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 also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved 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!
who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in your heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, Do not forget, neither decline thou from the sayings of my mouth.
and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to you: love it, and it shall keep you.
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
Secure it, and it shall exalt you: honor it, that it may embrace you;
9 She will give for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and may cover you with a crown of delight.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of your life shall be increased, that the resources of your life may be many.
11 In the way of wisdom, have I taught thee, I have guided thee in tracks of uprightness.
For I teach you the ways of wisdom; and I cause you to go in right paths.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
For when you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not be distressed.
13 Take fast hold of correction, let her not go, —keep her, for, she, is thy life.
Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for yourself for your life.
14 Upon the path of the lawless, do not thou enter, and do not advance in the way of the wicked:
Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not there; but turn from them, 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 can’t sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.
17 For they consume bread gotten by lawlessness, and, wine obtained by violence, they drink.
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, —going on and brightening, unto meridian 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 lawless, is like 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, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply your ear to my words:
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart;
that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in [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 the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.
24 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Remove from you a froward mouth, and put far away from you unjust lips.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids assent [to] just [things].
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Make straight paths for your feet, and order your ways aright.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away your foot from an evil way.
