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. Pay attention and know understanding;
2 For, good teaching, have I given you, mine instruction, do not ye forsake.
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake 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 an only child 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, 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. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will guard thee, —love her and she will keep thee.
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7 The principal thing, is wisdom, acquire thou wisdom, With all thine acquisition, acquire thou understanding.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will set thee on high, she will bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her:
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor 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 give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and they will multiply to thee the years of life.
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. 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 have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight 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 will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of correction, let her not go, —keep her, for, she, is thy life.
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her 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:
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass thereon—turn from it, and depart.
Avoid it, and don’t 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 don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless 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.
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until 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 like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
20 My son, to my words, attend, to my sayings, incline thou thine ear;
My son, attend to my words. Turn 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 center 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 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 with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24 Remove from thee, perverseness of mouth, and, craftiness of lips, put far from thee.
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25 Let, thine eyes, right onward, look, —and, thine eyelashes, point straight before thee.
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Make level the track of thy foot, that, all thy ways, may be directed aright:
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27 Decline not, to the right hand or to the left, —Turn away thy foot from wickedness.
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
