Proverbs 4
1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
My children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will understand what is wise.
2 for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
What I am teaching you is good, so do not turn away from it.
3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
When I was a young boy, loved by my mother,
4 He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
my father told me, “Remember my words; if you obey my commandments, you will live [a long time].
5 Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
Obtain wisdom and understanding, and (do not abandon/hold fast to) [LIT] what I have taught you.
6 Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
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.
7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
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.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honour when you embrace her.
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.
9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.”
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].
10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
[So now I say], “My son, heed what I say. If you do that, you will live a [good] long life.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
I am teaching you the way to live wisely; I am showing you how to act justly [toward others].
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
If you live wisely, when you decide to do something, you will succeed [LIT].
13 Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
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.
14 Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
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].
15 Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
Stay away from those roads; turn aside and walk on other roads;
16 For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
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.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
What they eat and what they drink are things that they have obtained by acting wickedly and violently.”
18 But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
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.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
[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.
20 My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
My son, pay attention to what I am saying. Listen to my words carefully.
21 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the centre of your heart.
Keep them close to you; let them penetrate your inner being,
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
because you will have [PRS] [a good] life and [good] health if you [search for them and] find them.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
It is very important that you be careful about what you think, because what you think controls [MET] the things that you do.
24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
Do not say anything that deceives [others] and never say what is not true.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
Keep looking straight ahead toward the events that are before you, and do not turn aside.
26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
Plan carefully where you will go and what you will do, and then stay on that road. Then what you do will be right.
27 Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
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.
