Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and discover what makes sense,
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know intelligence;
2 for what I am passing on to you is reliable. Don't reject my teachings.
for I give you good doctrine: forsake ye not my law.
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, tender and an only one in the sight of 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 taught me, and said unto me, Let thy heart retain my words; keep my commandments and live.
5 Get wisdom, find out what makes sense. Don't forget my words or reject them.
Get wisdom, get intelligence: forget [it] not; neither decline from the words 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 shall keep thee; love her, and she shall preserve thee.
7 The first thing in becoming wise is to get wisdom! Whatever else you gain, gain insight.
The beginning of wisdom [is], Get wisdom; and with all thy getting get intelligence.
8 Treasure wisdom, and she will praise you; embrace her, and she will honor you.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee to honour when thou dost embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a wreath of grace; she will present to you a crown of glory.”
She shall give to thy head a garland of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow upon thee.
10 Listen, my son, if you accept what I tell you, then you will live a long life.
Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be multiplied.
11 I have explained to you the way of wisdom; I have guided you along the right paths.
I will teach thee in the way of wisdom, I will lead thee in paths of uprightness.
12 Nothing will block your way when you walk, you won't stumble when you run.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; 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.
Take fast hold of instruction, 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 go not in the way of evil [men]:
15 Avoid that way completely. Don't go there! Turn away, and walk on.
avoid it, pass not by it; turn 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 mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they have caused [some] to fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
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 shining light, going on and brightening until the day be fully come.
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 as darkness: they know not at 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; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Don't lose sight of them; think about them deeply,
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep 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 those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23 Most of all, protect your mind, for everything in life flows from it.
Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.
24 Don't ever lie, and don't say anything dishonest.
Put away from thee perverseness of mouth, and corrupt lips put far from thee.
25 Focus on what's ahead of you; look at what's in front of you.
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Pay attention to the path you decide to follow, and you'll be safe wherever you go.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be well-ordered.
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.
