Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:
2 For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.
3 For, a son I have been to my father — tender, And an only one before my mother.
For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.
4 And he directeth me, and he saith to me: 'Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:
5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.
8 Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.
9 She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.
Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.
11 In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.
12 In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.
Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.
14 Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.
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 take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.
17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.
The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.
18 And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,
But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.
19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.
20 My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.
21 Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.
Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.
22 For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.
For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.
23 Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.
24 Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.
25 Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.
26 Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.
Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.
27 Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.
