Proverbs 4
1 Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2 For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
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, tender and an 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 your heart retain 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. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom — get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honour when you 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 your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. 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 have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
12 In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t 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.
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
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 don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless 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,
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until 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 like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
20 My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
My son, attend to my words. Turn your 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 your eyes. Keep them in the centre of 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 their whole body.
23 Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24 Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25 Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27 Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
