Proverbs, 4

1. Listen, my children, to a father's instruction; pay attention, and learn what understanding is.

1. Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight;

2. What I am offering you is sound doctrine: do not forsake my teaching.

2. for I give you good precepts: do not forsake my teaching.

3. I too was once a child with a father, in my mother's eyes a tender child, unique.

3. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

4. This was what he used to teach me, 'Let your heart treasure what I have to say, keep my principles and you will live;

4. he taught me, and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live;

5. acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, never forget her, never deviate from my words.

5. do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Get wisdom; get insight.

6. Do not desert her, she will keep you safe; love her, she will watch over you.

6. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.

7. The first principle of wisdom is: acquire wisdom; at the cost of all you have, acquire understanding!

7. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight.

8. Hold her close, and she will make you great; embrace her, and she will be your pride;

8. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.

9. she will provide a graceful garland for your head, bestow a crown of honour on you.'

9. She will place on your head a fair garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."

10. Listen, my child, take my words to heart, and the years of your life will be multiplied.

10. Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.

11. I have educated you in the ways of wisdom, I have guided you along the path of honesty.

11. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

12. When you walk, your going will be unhindered, if you run, you will not stumble.

12. When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble.

13. Hold fast to discipline, never let her go, keep your eyes on her, she is your life.

13. Keep hold of instruction, do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.

14. Do not follow the path of the wicked, do not walk the way that the evil go.

14. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil men.

15. Avoid it, do not take it, turn your back on it, pass it by.

15. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.

16. For they cannot sleep unless they have first done wrong, they miss their sleep if they have not made someone stumble;

16. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made some one stumble.

17. for the bread of wickedness is what they eat, and the wine of violence is what they drink.

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

18. The path of the upright is like the light of dawn, its brightness growing to the fullness of day;

18. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

19. the way of the wicked is as dark as night, they cannot tell the obstacles they stumble over.

19. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.

20. My child, pay attention to what I am telling you, listen carefully to my words;

20. My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

21. do not let them out of your sight, keep them deep in your heart.

21. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.

22. For they are life to those who find them and health to all humanity.

22. For they are life to him who finds them, and healing to all his flesh.

23. More than all else, keep watch over your heart, since here are the wellsprings of life.

23. Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life.

24. Turn your back on the mouth that misleads, keep your distance from lips that deceive.

24. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.

25. Let your eyes be fixed ahead, your gaze be straight before you.

25. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

26. Let the path you tread be level and all your ways be firm.

26. Take heed to the path of your feet, then all your ways will be sure.

27. Turn neither to right nor to left, keep your foot clear of evil.

27. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.