Proverbs 4

1Give ear, my sons, to the teaching of a father; give attention so that you may have knowledge:

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

1Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend, that you may know prudence.

2For I give you good teaching; do not give up the knowledge you are getting from me.

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

2I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.

3For I was a son to my father, a gentle and an only one to my mother.

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

3For I also was my father's son, tender, and as an only son in the sight of my mother:

4And he gave me teaching, saying to me, Keep my words in your heart; keep my rules so that you may have life:

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

4And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.

5Get wisdom, get true knowledge; keep it in memory, do not be turned away from the words of my mouth.

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

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

6Do not give her up, and she will keep you; give her your love, and she will make you safe.

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

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

7The first sign of wisdom is to get wisdom; go, give all you have to get true knowledge.

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

7The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.

8Put her in a high place, and you will be lifted up by her; she will give you honour, when you give her your love.

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

8Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.

9She will put a crown of grace on your head, giving you a head-dress of glory.

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

9She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.

10Give ear, O my son, and let your heart be open to my sayings; and long life will be yours.

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

10Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.

11I have given you teaching in the way of wisdom, guiding your steps in the straight way.

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

11I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:

12When you go, your way will not be narrow, and in running you will not have a fall.

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

12Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock.

13Take learning in your hands, do not let her go: keep her, for she is your life.

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

13Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.

14Do not go in the road of sinners, or be walking in the way of evil men.

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

14Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.

15Keep far from it, do not go near; be turned from it, and go on your way.

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

15Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.

16For they take no rest till they have done evil; their sleep is taken away if they have not been the cause of someone's fall.

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

16For they sleep not, except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.

17The bread of evil-doing is their food, the wine of violent acts their drink.

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

17They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.

18But the way of the upright is like the light of early morning, getting brighter and brighter till the full day.

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

18But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards, and increaseth even to perfect day.

19The way of sinners is dark; they see not the cause of their fall.

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

19The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.

20My son, give attention to my words; let your ear be turned to my sayings.

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

20My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.

21Let them not go from your eyes; keep them deep in your heart.

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

21Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:

22For they are life to him who gets them, and strength to all his flesh.

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

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

23And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.

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

23With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.

24Put away from you an evil tongue, and let false lips be far from you.

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

24Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.

25Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, looking straight before you.

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

25Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.

26Keep a watch on your behaviour; let all your ways be rightly ordered.

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

26Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.

27Let there be no turning to the right or to the left, keep your feet from evil.

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

27Decline 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.