Proverbs 4

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

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

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

For I give you a good gift; forsake you not my law.

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

For I also was a son obedient to [my] father, and loved in the sight of [my] mother:

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

who spoke and instructed me, [saying], Let our speech be fixed in your heart, keep [our] commandments, forget them not:

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

and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.

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

And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to you: love it, and it shall keep you.

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

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

Secure it, and it shall exalt you: honour it, that it may embrace you;

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

that it may give to your head a crown of graces, and may cover you with a crown of delight.

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

Hear, [my] son, and receive my words; and the years of your life shall be increased, that the resources of your life may be many.

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

For I teach you the ways of wisdom; and I cause you to go in right paths.

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

For when you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not be distressed.

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

Take hold of my instruction; let it not go, —but keep it for yourself for your life.

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

Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.

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

In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not there; but turn from them, and pass away.

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

For they can’t sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.

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

For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.

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

But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.

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

But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.

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

[My] son, attend to my speech; and apply your ear to my words:

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

that your fountains may not fail you; keep them in [your] heart.

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

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

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

Keep your heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.

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

Remove from you a froward mouth, and put far away from you unjust lips.

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

Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids assent [to] just [things].

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

Make straight paths for your feet, and order your ways aright.

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

Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away your foot from an evil way.