< Proverbs 4 >

1 My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
2 What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
3 When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
4 my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
5 Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn 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 send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
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 beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
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.
Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
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 bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
10 [So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
11 I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
12 If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
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 hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it 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 delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
15 Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
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 do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
17 What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
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 path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
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 the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
21 Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of 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 those who find them and health to all that is 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.
Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
24 Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
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.
Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
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.
Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.

< Proverbs 4 >