Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
孩子，你們要聽父親的教訓，專心學習明智，
2 for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
因為我把好教訓授給你們，你們不要拋棄我的規勸。
3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
我也曾在父親面前作過孝子，在我母親膝下是唯一的嬌兒。
4 He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
我父曾訓誨我說：你應留心牢記我的話，遵守我的命令，好使你生存；
5 Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
你應緊握智慧，握住明智，不要忘記，也不要離棄我口中的教訓：
6 Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
你若不捨棄她，她必護佑你；你若喜愛她，她必看顧你。
7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
首先應爭取的是智慧，因此你應尋求智慧，應犧牲一切去爭取明智。
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honour when you embrace her.
你若顯揚智慧，智慧也必顯揚你；你若懷抱她，她也必光榮你：
9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.”
將華冠加在你的頭上，將榮冕賜給你。
10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
我兒，你若聽取我的訓言，你必延年益壽。
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
我要教給你智慧的道路，引你走上正直的途徑：
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
這樣，你若行走，你的腳決不會受阻礙；即便你奔馳，也決不致顛仆。
13 Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
你要堅持教訓，切勿把她拋棄；你應保存她，因為她是你的生命。
14 Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
惡人的道路，你不要進去；壞人的途徑，你不要踏入；
15 Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
反應躲避，不經其上；遠遠離去，繞道他往。
16 For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
因為他們不作惡，不能入睡；不使人跌倒，就要失眠。
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
他們吃的是邪惡的餅，飲的是暴虐的酒。
18 But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
但是，義人的途徑，像黎明的曙光，越來越明亮，直至成日中；
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
惡人的道路，卻宛如幽暗，他們不知道，要跌在何處。
20 My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
我兒，你要注意我的訓言，側耳傾聽我的教導；
21 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the centre of your heart.
不要讓她離開你的視線，卻要牢記在心中。
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
因為，凡找著她的，必獲得生命；他整個身軀，必獲得健康。
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
在一切之上，你要謹守你的心，因為生命是由此而生。
24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
你應摒絕口舌的欺詐，遠避唇舌的乖謬。
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
你的眼睛應向前直視，你的視線應向前集中。
26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
你要修平你腳下的行徑，要鞏固你一切的路途。
27 Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
你斷不可左傾右依，務使你的腳遠離邪惡。
