Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.
3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
For I have been a son to my father—tender, And an only one before my mother.
4 He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
And he directs me, and he says to me: “Let your heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
6 Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, Love her, and she keeps you.
7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, And with all your getting get understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
Exalt her and she lifts you up, She honors you when you embrace her.
9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
She gives a wreath of grace to your head, She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”
10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to you.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
I have directed you in a way of wisdom, I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
In your walking your step is not restricted, And if you run, you do not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] your life.
14 Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
Do not enter into the path of the wicked, And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
Avoid it, do not pass over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
16 For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
For they do not sleep if they do no evil, And their sleep has been taken away violently, If they do not cause [some] to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And they drink wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening until the day is established,
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
My son, give attention to my words, Incline your ear to my sayings,
21 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
Do not let them turn aside from your eyes, Preserve them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
For they [are] life to those finding them, And healing to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
Above every charge keep your heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, And put perverse lips far from you,
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
Your eyes look straightforward, And your eyelids look straight before you.
26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
Ponder the path of your feet, And all your ways [are] established.
27 Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside your foot from evil!
