Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
Ka caanawk, ampa thuitaekhaih lok to tahngai oh; panoekhaih tawnh hanah kahoih ah tahngai oh.
2 for I give you sound learning. Do not forsake my law.
Patukhaih kahoih kang paek o, to pongah kang patuk ih lok hae pahnawt o hmah.
3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
Kam pa hanah kai loe nawkta ah ka oh, kam no han loe palung ih capa, nawkta ah ka oh.
4 He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
Kam pa mah kang thuih ih loknawk hae palung thungah suem ah, kang paek ih loknawk hae pakuemh loe, hing haih ah, tiah ang patuk.
5 Get wisdom. Get understanding. Do not forget, and do not deviate from the words of my mouth.
Palunghahaih to amtuk ah loe panoekhaih to cang ah; pahnet hmah loe, ka thuih ih loknawk hae angqoi taak hmah.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
Palunghahaih to pahnawt hmah, palunghahaih mah ni nang to pakaa tih; palunghahaih to palung ah, to tih nahaeloe palunghahaih mah na toep tih.
7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
Palunghahaih loe lokpui ah oh; to pongah palunghahaih to amtuk ah; nam tuk ih hmuennawk boih thungah panoekhaih to amtuk oh.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
Palunghahaih to lokpui ah suem ah; to tih nahaeloe anih mah na qoengsak tahang tih; anih to na patawnh caeng nahaeloe, khingzahaih na hnu tih.
9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
Na lu ah tahmenhaih lumuek hoiah zaeng ueloe, lensawkhaih angraeng lumuek to angmueksak tih.
10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
Ka capa, ka thuih ih lok hae tahngaih loe, tapom ah; to tih nahaeloe na hinghaih saning to sawk tih.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
Palunghahaih loklam to kang patuek o moe, katoeng loklam ah kang caeh o haih.
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
Na caeh o naah lam tamcaek ah na pha o mak ai; na cawnh o naah doeh nam thaek o mak ai.
13 Take firm hold of instruction. Do not let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
Thuitaekhaih lok hae patawn caeng ah, kangthla ah caehsak hmah; na hinghaih ah oh pongah, kahoih ah pakuem ah.
14 Do not enter into the path of the wicked. Do not walk in the way of evil men.
Kasae kaminawk ih loklam ah khok takan hmah loe, kasae kaminawk ih loklam to pazui hmah.
15 Avoid it, and do not pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
Caeh hmah, ayae ah; amlaem taak ah loe, angqoi taak ving ah.
16 For they do not sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
To baktih kaminawk loe kasae hmuen sah ai ah loe iip o thai ai; thoemto kaminawk loe amtimsak ai ah loe iip o thai ai.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
Nihcae loe sethaih takaw to caak o moe, athii longhaih misurtui to a naek o.
18 But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
Katoeng kami ih loklam loe ni aengh baktiah oh moe, khodai khoek to aang aep aep.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what they stumble over.
Toe kasae kami ih loklam loe khoving baktiah ving; tih mah maw nihcae to amtimsak, tito panoek o ai.
20 My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
Ka capa, ka thuih ih loknawk hae tahngai ah; ka thuih ih loknawk bangah naa to patueng ah.
21 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
Na mik hoi kangthla ah suem hmah, na palung thungah suem ah.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
Hae tiah patukhaih loe hnu kaminawk hanah hinghaih ah oh moe, taksa ngantuihaih ah oh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
Palung loe hinghaih lokpui koekah oh pongah, na palung to kahoih ah khenzawn ah.
24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
Oep om ai lok to pakha thung hoiah tacawtsak hmah loe, angaek thaih pahni to kangthla ah suem ah.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
Na mik mah hmabang to katoeng ah khen nasoe, na hmaa to kahoih ah dan ah.
26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
Na caehhaih loklam to poek ah, na loklamnawk boih to caksak ah.
27 Do not turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
Bangqoi bantang angqoi hmah; sethaih thungah caeh han ai ah ayae ah.
