Proverbs 4

1 My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.

Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:

2 What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.

For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.

3 When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,

For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.

4 my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].

And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:

5 Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.

Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.

6 Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.

Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.

7 The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.

The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.

8 If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.

Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.

9 If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].

She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.

10 [So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.

Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.

11 I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].

I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.

12 If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].

When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.

13 Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.

Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.

14 Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].

Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.

15 Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;

Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.

16 because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.

For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.

17 What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”

The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.

18 The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.

But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.

19 [But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.

The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.

20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.

My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.

21 Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,

Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.

22 because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.

For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.

23 It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.

And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.

24 Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.

Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.

25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.

Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.

26 Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.

Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.

27 Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.

Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.