Proverbios 4

¹ Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding. ² For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not. ³ For, a son I have been to my father -- tender, And an only one before my mother. ⁴ And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live. ⁵ Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth. ⁶ Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee. ⁷ The first thing [is] wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding. ⁸ Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her. ⁹ She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely. ¹⁰ Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee. ¹¹ In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness. ¹² In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not. ¹³ Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life. ¹⁴ Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers. ¹⁵ Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on. ¹⁶ For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble. ¹⁷ For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink. ¹⁸ And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established, ¹⁹ The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble. ²⁰ My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear, ²¹ Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart. ²² For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing. ²³ Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life. ²⁴ Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee, ²⁵ Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee. ²⁶ Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established. ²⁷ Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!