Proverbs 4

1 Hear, [my] sons, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding:

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.

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

I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.

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

For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:

4 And he taught me, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live:

And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.

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

Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

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

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

7 Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: yea, with all thou hast gotten get understanding.

The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.

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

Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.

9 She shall give to thine head a chaplet of grace: a crown of beauty shall she deliver to thee.

She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.

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

Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.

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

I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:

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

Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.

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

Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.

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

Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.

15 Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it, and pass on.

Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.

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

For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.

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

They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.

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

But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.

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

The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.

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

My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.

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

Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy 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 flesh.

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

With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.

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

Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.

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

Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.

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

Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.

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

Decline not to the right hand, nor to the left: turn away thy foot from evil. For the Lord knoweth the ways that are on the right hand: but those are perverse which are on the left hand. But he will make thy courses straight, he will bring forward thy ways in peace.