Proverbs 4
1 My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
3 When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
4 my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
5 Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings 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.
Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
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, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
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.
Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest 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 give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
10 [So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
11 I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
12 If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
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.
Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy 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].
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
15 Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
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 sleep not, except they have done evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
17 What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they 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 path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
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 wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
21 Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy 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 unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
23 It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
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.
Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
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 not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
