Proverbs 4
1 My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
3 When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
For, a son I have been to my father — tender, And an only one before my mother.
4 my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
And he directeth me, and he saith to me: 'Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away 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 doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth 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 first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get 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.
Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace 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 giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
10 [So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.
11 I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
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 hold on instruction, do not desist, 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].
Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
15 Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
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 if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble.
17 What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence 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.
And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,
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] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
21 Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve 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 life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh 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 every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
24 Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight 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.
Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.
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.
Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
