The Proverbs - Chapter 4

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

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

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

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;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

¹² When you walk, your going will be unhindered, 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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