< Παροιμίαι 4 >
1 ἀκούσατε παῖδες παιδείαν πατρὸς καὶ προσέχετε γνῶναι ἔννοιαν
Listen, sons, to a father's instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2 δῶρον γὰρ ἀγαθὸν δωροῦμαι ὑμῖν τὸν ἐμὸν νόμον μὴ ἐγκαταλίπητε
for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.
3 υἱὸς γὰρ ἐγενόμην κἀγὼ πατρὶ ὑπήκοος καὶ ἀγαπώμενος ἐν προσώπῳ μητρός
For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
4 οἳ ἔλεγον καὶ ἐδίδασκόν με ἐρειδέτω ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος εἰς σὴν καρδίαν
He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5 φύλασσε ἐντολάς μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ μηδὲ παρίδῃς ῥῆσιν ἐμοῦ στόματος
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, neither swerve from the words of my mouth.
6 μηδὲ ἐγκαταλίπῃς αὐτήν καὶ ἀνθέξεταί σου ἐράσθητι αὐτῆς καὶ τηρήσει σε
Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8 περιχαράκωσον αὐτήν καὶ ὑψώσει σε τίμησον αὐτήν ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.
9 ἵνα δῷ τῇ σῇ κεφαλῇ στέφανον χαρίτων στεφάνῳ δὲ τρυφῆς ὑπερασπίσῃ σου
She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you."
10 ἄκουε υἱέ καὶ δέξαι ἐμοὺς λόγους καὶ πληθυνθήσεται ἔτη ζωῆς σου ἵνα σοι γένωνται πολλαὶ ὁδοὶ βίου
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
11 ὁδοὺς γὰρ σοφίας διδάσκω σε ἐμβιβάζω δέ σε τροχιαῖς ὀρθαῖς
I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
12 ἐὰν γὰρ πορεύῃ οὐ συγκλεισθήσεταί σου τὰ διαβήματα ἐὰν δὲ τρέχῃς οὐ κοπιάσεις
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13 ἐπιλαβοῦ ἐμῆς παιδείας μὴ ἀφῇς ἀλλὰ φύλαξον αὐτὴν σεαυτῷ εἰς ζωήν σου
Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
14 ὁδοὺς ἀσεβῶν μὴ ἐπέλθῃς μηδὲ ζηλώσῃς ὁδοὺς παρανόμων
Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.
15 ἐν ᾧ ἂν τόπῳ στρατοπεδεύσωσιν μὴ ἐπέλθῃς ἐκεῖ ἔκκλινον δὲ ἀπ’ αὐτῶν καὶ παράλλαξον
Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16 οὐ γὰρ μὴ ὑπνώσωσιν ἐὰν μὴ κακοποιήσωσιν ἀφῄρηται ὁ ὕπνος αὐτῶν καὶ οὐ κοιμῶνται
For they do not sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
17 οἵδε γὰρ σιτοῦνται σῖτα ἀσεβείας οἴνῳ δὲ παρανόμῳ μεθύσκονται
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
18 αἱ δὲ ὁδοὶ τῶν δικαίων ὁμοίως φωτὶ λάμπουσιν προπορεύονται καὶ φωτίζουσιν ἕως κατορθώσῃ ἡ ἡμέρα
But the path of the righteous is like a shining light, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
19 αἱ δὲ ὁδοὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶν σκοτειναί οὐκ οἴδασιν πῶς προσκόπτουσιν
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.
20 υἱέ ἐμῇ ῥήσει πρόσεχε τοῖς δὲ ἐμοῖς λόγοις παράβαλε σὸν οὖς
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
21 ὅπως μὴ ἐκλίπωσίν σε αἱ πηγαί σου φύλασσε αὐτὰς ἐν σῇ καρδίᾳ
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 ζωὴ γάρ ἐστιν τοῖς εὑρίσκουσιν αὐτὰς καὶ πάσῃ σαρκὶ ἴασις
For they are life to him who finds them, and health to all of his body.
23 πάσῃ φυλακῇ τήρει σὴν καρδίαν ἐκ γὰρ τούτων ἔξοδοι ζωῆς
Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24 περίελε σεαυτοῦ σκολιὸν στόμα καὶ ἄδικα χείλη μακρὰν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἄπωσαι
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25 οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὀρθὰ βλεπέτωσαν τὰ δὲ βλέφαρά σου νευέτω δίκαια
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26 ὀρθὰς τροχιὰς ποίει σοῖς ποσὶν καὶ τὰς ὁδούς σου κατεύθυνε
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27 μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ μηδὲ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερά ἀπόστρεψον δὲ σὸν πόδα ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς ὁδοὺς γὰρ τὰς ἐκ δεξιῶν οἶδεν ὁ θεός διεστραμμέναι δέ εἰσιν αἱ ἐξ ἀριστερῶν αὐτὸς δὲ ὀρθὰς ποιήσει τὰς τροχιάς σου τὰς δὲ πορείας σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ προάξει
Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.