Proverbs, chapter 4 – A further exhortation to seek after wisdom

1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence. 2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law. 3 For I also was my father’s son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother: 4 And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live. 5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee. 7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence. 8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her. 9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown. 10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.

11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity: 12 Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock. 13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life. 14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee. 15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.

16 For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall. 17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity. 18 But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day. 19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall. 20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.

21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart: 22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh. 23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it. 24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee. 25 Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.

26 Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established. 27 Decline 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.