Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and discover what makes sense,
Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 for what I am passing on to you is reliable. Don't reject my teachings.
For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.
3 When I was a son with my father—a tender young boy, my mother's only child—
For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.
4 he was the one who taught me. He told me, “Pay attention to the words I say and keep them in mind; do what I tell you and you will live.
And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.
5 Get wisdom, find out what makes sense. Don't forget my words or reject them.
Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.
6 Don't give up on wisdom for she will keep you safe. Love wisdom and she will protect you.
Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.
7 The first thing in becoming wise is to get wisdom! Whatever else you gain, gain insight.
The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.
8 Treasure wisdom, and she will praise you; embrace her, and she will honor you.
Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.
9 She will place on your head a wreath of grace; she will present to you a crown of glory.”
She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.
10 Listen, my son, if you accept what I tell you, then you will live a long life.
Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.
11 I have explained to you the way of wisdom; I have guided you along the right paths.
In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.
12 Nothing will block your way when you walk, you won't stumble when you run.
When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Hold on to these instructions—don't let them go. Protect them, for they are life's foundation.
Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
14 Don't go the way of the wicked or follow the example of those who do evil.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.
15 Avoid that way completely. Don't go there! Turn away, and walk on.
Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.
16 Evil people won't rest until they've done something wrong; they can't sleep unless they've tripped someone up.
For they sleep not, except they have done evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
For they eat the bread of wickedness; and the wine of violence do they drink.
18 The way of life of the good is like the light of the sunrise, glowing brighter and brighter until the full light of day shines out.
But the path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.
19 But the way of life of the wicked is like complete darkness; they don't even know what they're tripping over.
The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.
20 My son, pay attention to what I tell you; listen to the words I'm saying.
My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.
21 Don't lose sight of them; think about them deeply,
Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy heart.
22 for they are life to anyone who finds them, and make the whole body healthy.
For they are life unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.
23 Most of all, protect your mind, for everything in life flows from it.
Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Don't ever lie, and don't say anything dishonest.
Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.
25 Focus on what's ahead of you; look at what's in front of you.
Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.
26 Pay attention to the path you decide to follow, and you'll be safe wherever you go.
Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.
27 Don't deviate to the right or the left, and turn away from evil.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
