Proverbios 4
1 Oíd, hijos, el castigo del padre; y estad atentos para que sepáis inteligencia.
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
2 Porque os doy buena enseñanza; no desamparéis mi ley.
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
3 Porque yo fui hijo de mi padre, delicado y único delante de mi madre.
When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
4 Y él me enseñaba, y me decía: Sustente tu corazón mis razones, guarda mis mandamientos, y vivirás.
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
5 Adquiere sabiduría, adquiere inteligencia; no te olvides ni te apartes de las razones de mi boca;
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
6 no la dejes, y ella te guardará; ámala, y te conservará.
Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.
7 Sabiduría primero que todo; adquiere sabiduría; y ante toda tu posesión adquiere inteligencia.
The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.
8 Crece en ella, y ella te engrandecerá; ella te honrará, cuando tú la hubieres abrazado.
If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.
9 Dará a tu cabeza aumento de gracia; corona de hermosura te entregará.
If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].
10 Oye, hijo mío, y recibe mis razones; y se te multiplicarán años de vida.
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
11 Por el camino de la sabiduría te he encaminado, y por veredas derechas te he hecho andar.
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
12 Cuando anduvieres por ellas no se estrecharán tus pasos; y si corrieres, no tropezarás.
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
13 Ten el castigo, no lo dejes; guárdalo, porque eso es tu vida.
Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.
14 No entres por la vereda de los impíos, ni vayas por el camino de los malos.
Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].
15 Desampárala, no pases por ella; apártate de ella, y pasa.
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
16 Porque no duermen ellos, si no hicieren mal; y pierden su sueño, si no han hecho caer.
because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.
17 Porque comen pan de maldad, y beben vino de violencia.
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
18 Mas la vereda de los justos es como la luz del lucero, que va en aumento hasta que el día es perfecto.
The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.
19 El camino de los impíos es como la oscuridad; no saben en qué tropiezan.
[But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.
20 Hijo mío, está atento a mis palabras; inclina tu oído a mis razones.
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
21 No se aparten de tus ojos; guárdalas en medio de tu corazón.
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
22 Porque son vida a los que las hallan, y medicina a toda su carne.
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
23 Sobre toda cosa guardada, guarda tu corazón; porque de él mana la vida.
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
24 Aparta de ti la perversidad de la boca, y aleja de ti la iniquidad de labios.
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
25 Tus ojos miren lo recto, y tus párpados enderecen tu camino delante de ti.
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
26 Pesa la vereda de tus pies, y todos tus caminos sean ordenados.
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
27 No te desvíes a diestra, ni a siniestra; aparta tu pie del mal.
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.
