Proverbs 4

My sons, listen to a father’s teaching.
    Pay attention and gain understanding.

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

I give you good advice.
    So don’t turn away from what I teach you.

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

I, too, was once a young boy in my father’s house.
    And my mother loved me deeply.

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

Then my father taught me.
    He said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart.
    Keep my commands, and you will live.

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

Get wisdom, and get understanding.
    Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.

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

Stay close to wisdom, and she will keep you safe.
    Love her, and she will watch over you.

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

To start being wise you must first get wisdom.
    No matter what it costs, get understanding.

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

Value wisdom highly, and she will lift you up.
    Hold her close, and she will honor you.

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

She will set a beautiful crown on your head.
    She will give you a glorious crown.”

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

My son, listen. Accept what I say.
    Then you will live for many years.

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

I instruct you in the way of wisdom.
    I lead you along straight paths.

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

When you walk, nothing will slow you down.
    When you run, you won’t trip and fall.

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

Hold on to my teaching and don’t let it go.
    Guard it well, because it is your life.

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

Don’t take the path of evil people.
    Don’t live the way sinners do.

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

Stay away from their path and don’t travel on it.
    Turn away from it and go on your way.

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

Sinners can’t rest until they do what is evil.
    They can’t sleep until they make someone sin.

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

They do evil just as easily as they eat food.
    They hurt others as easily as they drink wine.

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

The path of those who do right is like the sun in the morning.
    It shines brighter and brighter until the full light of day.

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

But the way of those who do what is wrong is like deep darkness.
    They don’t know what makes them trip and fall.

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

My son, pay attention to what I say.
    Listen closely to my words.

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

Don’t let them out of your sight.
    Keep them in your heart.

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

They are life to those who find them.
    They are health to a person’s whole body.

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

Above everything else, guard your heart.
    Everything you do comes from it.

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

Don’t speak with twisted words.
    Keep evil talk away from your lips.

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

Let your eyes look straight ahead.
    Keep looking right in front of you.

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

Think carefully about the paths that your feet walk on.
    Always choose the right ways.

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

Don’t turn to the right or left.
    Keep your feet from the path of evil.