Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.
孩子，你們要聽父親的教訓，專心學習明智，
2 I am giving you good instructions; do not forsake my teaching.
因為我把好教訓授給你們，你們不要拋棄我的規勸。
3 When I was a son of my father, the tender and only child of my mother,
我也曾在父親面前作過孝子，在我母親膝下是唯一的嬌兒。
4 he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commands and live.
我父曾訓誨我說：你應留心牢記我的話，遵守我的命令，好使你生存；
5 Acquire wisdom and understanding; do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;
你應緊握智慧，握住明智，不要忘記，也不要離棄我口中的教訓：
6 do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you; love her and she will keep you safe.
你若不捨棄她，她必護佑你；你若喜愛她，她必看顧你。
7 Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom and spend all you own so you can get understanding.
首先應爭取的是智慧，因此你應尋求智慧，應犧牲一切去爭取明智。
8 Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.
你若顯揚智慧，智慧也必顯揚你；你若懷抱她，她也必光榮你：
9 She will put a wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”
將華冠加在你的頭上，將榮冕賜給你。
10 Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words, and you will have many years in your life.
我兒，你若聽取我的訓言，你必延年益壽。
11 I direct you in the way of wisdom; I lead you down straight paths.
我要教給你智慧的道路，引你走上正直的途徑：
12 When you walk, no one will stand in your way and if you run, you will not stumble.
這樣，你若行走，你的腳決不會受阻礙；即便你奔馳，也決不致顛仆。
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it, for it is your life.
你要堅持教訓，切勿把她拋棄；你應保存她，因為她是你的生命。
14 Do not follow the path of the wicked and do not go along the way of those who do evil.
惡人的道路，你不要進去；壞人的途徑，你不要踏入；
15 Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it and go another way.
反應躲避，不經其上；遠遠離去，繞道他往。
16 For they cannot sleep until they do evil and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.
因為他們不作惡，不能入睡；不使人跌倒，就要失眠。
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
他們吃的是邪惡的餅，飲的是暴虐的酒。
18 But the path of righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter; it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.
但是，義人的途徑，像黎明的曙光，越來越明亮，直至成日中；
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness— they do not know what it is they stumble over.
惡人的道路，卻宛如幽暗，他們不知道，要跌在何處。
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
我兒，你要注意我的訓言，側耳傾聽我的教導；
21 Do not let them turn away from your eyes; keep them in your heart.
不要讓她離開你的視線，卻要牢記在心中。
22 For my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.
因為，凡找著她的，必獲得生命；他整個身軀，必獲得健康。
23 Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.
在一切之上，你要謹守你的心，因為生命是由此而生。
24 Put crooked speech away from you and put corrupt talk far from you.
你應摒絕口舌的欺詐，遠避唇舌的乖謬。
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze straight before you.
你的眼睛應向前直視，你的視線應向前集中。
26 Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.
你要修平你腳下的行徑，要鞏固你一切的路途。
27 Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
你斷不可左傾右依，務使你的腳遠離邪惡。
