Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
2 For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.
3 For, a son I have been to my father — tender, And an only one before my mother.
When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,
4 And he directeth me, and he saith to me: 'Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.
6 Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.
Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.
11 In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.
12 In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.
Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.
16 For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble.
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.
Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.
22 For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.
For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.
23 Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.
24 Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.
25 Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.
26 Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.
Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27 Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
