Proverbs 4

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

Listen, sons, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.

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

I am giving you good instructions; do not forsake my teaching.

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

When I was a son of my father, the tender and only child of my mother,

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

he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commands and live.

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

Acquire wisdom and understanding; do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;

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

do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you; love her and she will keep you safe.

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

Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom and spend all you own so you can get understanding.

8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you; she will honor you when you embrace her.

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

She will put a wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”

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

Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words, and you will have many years in your life.

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

I direct you in the way of wisdom; I lead you down straight paths.

12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

When you walk, no one will stand in your way and if you run, you will not stumble.

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

Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it, for it is your life.

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

Do not follow the path of the wicked and do not go along the way of those who do evil.

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

Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it and go another way.

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 until they do evil and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.

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 But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

But the path of righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter; it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.

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

The way of the wicked is like darkness— they do not know what it is they stumble over.

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

My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

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

Do not let them turn away from your eyes; keep them in your heart.

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

For my words are life to those who find them and health to their whole body.

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

Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.

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

Put crooked speech away from you and put corrupt talk far from you.

25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Let your eyes look straight ahead and fix your gaze straight before you.

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

Make a level path for your foot; then all your ways will be secure.

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

Do not turn aside to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.