Proverbs 4

DOUAI-RHEIMS	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.	1 Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.	2 I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
3 For I also was my father's son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:	3 For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and 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.	4 And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.	5 Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.	6 Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.	7 The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.	8 Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.	9 She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.	10 Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:	11 I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along 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.	12 When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.	13 Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.	14 Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.	15 Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
16 For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall.	16 For they do not sleep, unless they have done evil. And their sleep is quickly taken away from them, unless they have overthrown.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.	17 They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
18 But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.	18 But the path of the just is like a shining light: it advances and increases, even to the day of completion.
19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.	19 The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.	20 My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:	21 Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh.	22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.	23 Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.	24 Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
25 Let thy eyes look straight on, and let thy eyelids go before thy steps.	25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
26 Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.	26 Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
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.	27 Turn aside, neither to the right, nor to the left; yet turn your foot away from evil. For the Lord knows the ways that are on the right, and truly, those that are on the left are perverse. But he himself will make your courses straight. Then your journey will advance in peace.