Proverbs 4

1 My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend, that ye may learn understanding!

2 What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.

For I give you good instruction; Forsake ye not my commandments.

3 When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,

For I was my father's son, A tender and only child in the sight of my mother.

4 my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].

He taught me, and said to me, Let thy heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments, and live.

5 Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.

Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, and depart not from, the words of my mouth.

6 Do not turn away from wisdom, because if you are wise, you will be protected [from all evil/danger]. If you love wisdom, wisdom [PRS] will guard you.

Forsake her not, and she will guard thee: Love her, and she will preserve thee.

7 The most important thing that you can do is to get wisdom. Even if you obtain many other things, the best thing is to know what things are wise.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore gain wisdom, And with all thy gain, gain understanding.

8 If you consider being wise to be very valuable, [people] will think very highly of you. If you cling to wisdom [like you would cling to a woman you love], [many people] will honor you.

Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her;

9 If you become wise, that will for you be [like] a beautiful wreath that is put {someone puts} on your head; it will be [like] a king’s glorious crown.” [That is what my father told me].

She will give to thy head a graceful wreath, A beautiful crown will she bestow upon thee.

10 [So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.

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

11 I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].

I have taught thee the way of wisdom, I have guided thee in the right path.

12 If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be confined; And, when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 Hold fast to the things I have taught you to do, and do not let them go. Guard them, because they [will be the source of a good] life.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go; Keep her, for she is thy life.

14 Do not do the things that wicked people do; [do not behave like they do]; do not even walk on the roads that evil [people] walk on [MET].

Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men;

15 Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;

Avoid it, pass not upon it, Turn from it, and go away.

16 because evil people cannot sleep if they have not done some evil deed [on that day]. They cannot rest if they have not harmed someone.

For they sleep not, unless they have done mischief; Yea, their sleep is taken away, unless they have caused some to fall.

17 What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”

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

18 The behavior of good/righteous [people] is like the light [that begins to shine] at dawn and then [continues to] shine brighter until the brightest time of day.

But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, Which groweth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day.

19 [But] the behavior of wicked [people] is like deep/thick darkness. [Because it is very dark], they cannot see the things that cause them to stumble.

The way of the wicked is as thick darkness; They know not at what they stumble.

20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.

My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear to my sayings;

21 Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,

Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart!

22 because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.

For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.

23 It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.

More than any thing which thou watchest, watch thy heart; For from it goeth forth life.

24 Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.

Put away from thee a deceitful mouth, And remove far from thee perverse lips.

25 Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.

Let thine eyes look straight forward, And thine eyelids be directed before thee.

26 Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.

Give heed to the path of thy foot, And let all thy ways be steadfast.

27 Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right. [Do only what is right] and keep yourself from [doing what is] evil.

Turn not to the right hand or to the left; Remove thy foot from evil.