Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend, that ye may learn understanding!
2 For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.
3 For, a son I have been to my father — tender, And an only one before my mother.
For I was my father's son, A tender and only child in the sight 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 to me, Let thy heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
Forsake her not, and she will guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her;
9 She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
She will give to thy head a graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon thee.
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.
Hear, O my son! and receive my sayings! So shall the years of thy life be many.
11 In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
I have taught thee the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.
12 In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.
14 Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men;
15 Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
Avoid it, pass not upon it, Turn from it, and go away.
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 sleep not, unless they have done mischief; Yea, their sleep is taken away, unless they have caused some to 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,
But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, Which groweth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
The way of the wicked is as thick darkness; They know not at what they stumble.
20 My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear to my sayings;
21 Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy 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 all their flesh.
23 Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.
24 Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.
25 Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.
26 Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.
Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.
27 Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.
