Proverbs 4

1Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.

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

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

2For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.

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

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

3For, a son I have been to my father--tender, And an only one before my mother.

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

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

4And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.

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

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

5Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.

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

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

6Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.

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

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

7The first thing <FI>is<Fi> wisdom--get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.

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

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

8Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, 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.

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.

9She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.

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

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

10Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life <FI>are<Fi> multiplied to thee.

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

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

11In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.

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

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

12In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.

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

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

13Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she <FI>is<Fi> thy life.

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

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

14Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.

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

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

15Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.

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

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

16For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not <FI>some<Fi> to stumble.

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

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.

17For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.

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

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

18And the path of the righteous <FI>is<Fi> as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,

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

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

19The way of the wicked <FI>is<Fi> as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.

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

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

20My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,

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

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

21Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.

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

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

22For life they <FI>are<Fi> to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.

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

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

23Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it <FI>are<Fi> the outgoings of life.

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

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

24Turn aside 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.

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

25Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.

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

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

26Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways <FI>are<Fi> established.

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

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

27Incline not <FI>to<Fi> the right or to the left, Turn aside 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.

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