Proverbs 4

1 Hear, all of you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake all of you not my law.

For I give you a good gift; forsake ye not my law.

3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:

4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let your heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:

5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.

6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.

And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee: love it, and it shall keep thee.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.

8 Exalt her, and she shall promote you: she shall bring you to honour, when you do embrace her.

Secure it, and it shall exalt thee: honour it, that it may embrace thee;

9 She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.

that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight.

10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of your life shall be many.

Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of thy life shall be increased, that the resources of thy life may be many.

11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.

For I teach thee the ways of wisdom; and I cause thee to go in right paths.

12 When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not stumble.

For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed.

13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your life.

Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for thyself for thy life.

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.

15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away.

16 For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

For they cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.

18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more unto the perfect day.

But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.

19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.

20 My son, attend to my words; incline your ear unto my sayings.

[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply thine ear to my words:

21 Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart.

that thy fountains may not fail thee; keep them in [thine] heart.

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

For they are life to those that find them, and health to all [their] flesh.

23 Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.

24 Put away from you a perverse mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.

Remove from thee a froward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips.

25 Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids assent [to] just [things].

26 Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.

Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways aright.

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil.

Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way.