Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:
2 for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.
3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.
4 He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:
5 Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.
6 Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.
7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honour when you embrace her.
Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.
9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.”
She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.
10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.
13 Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.
14 Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.
16 For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.
20 My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the centre of your heart.
Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.
24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.
26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.
27 Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.
