Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the correction of a father, and attend, that ye may know understanding.
Listen, sons, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.
2 For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
I am giving you good instructions; do not forsake my teaching.
3 For, a son, became I to my father, tender and most precious in the sight of my mother.
When I was a son of my father, the tender and 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 to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commands and live.
5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, Do not forget, neither decline thou from the sayings of my mouth.
Acquire wisdom and understanding; do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you; love her and she will keep you safe.
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom and spend all you own so you can get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.
9 She will give for thy head, a wreath of beauty, A crown of adorning, will she bestow upon thee.
She will put a wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words, and you will have many years in your life.
11 In the way of wisdom, have I taught thee, I have guided thee in tracks of uprightness.
I direct you in the way of wisdom; I lead you down straight paths.
12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be hemmed in, and, if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
When you walk, no one will stand in your way and if 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 it 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 follow the path of the wicked and do not go along the way of those who do evil.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it and go another way.
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 until they do evil and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.
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 righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter; it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.
19 The way of the lawless, is like darkness, they know not, at what they stumble.
The way of the wicked is like darkness— they do not know what it is they stumble over.
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 let them turn away from your eyes; 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 my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.
23 Above all that must be guarded, keep thou thy heart, for, out of it, are the issues of life.
Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Put crooked speech away from you and put corrupt talk far from you.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze straight before you.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
