Proverbs 4

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Listen, my children, to a father's instruction; pay attention, and learn what understanding is.	1 Listen, sons, to the discipline of a father, and pay attention, so that you may know prudence.
2 What I am offering you is sound doctrine: do not forsake my teaching.	2 I will bestow upon you a good gift. Do not relinquish my law.
3 I too was once a child with a father, in my mother's eyes a tender child, unique.	3 For I, too, was the son of my father, tender and an only son in the sight of my mother.
4 This was what he used to teach me, 'Let your heart treasure what I have to say, keep my principles andyou wil live;	4 And he taught me, and he also said: “Let your heart accept my words. Keep my precepts, and you shall live.
5 acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, never forget her, never deviate from my words.	5 Obtain wisdom, obtain prudence. May you neither forget, nor turn away from, the words of my mouth.
6 Do not desert her, she will keep you safe; love her, she wil watch over you.	6 Do not send her away, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will preserve you.
7 The first principle of wisdom is: acquire wisdom; at the cost of all you have, acquire understanding!	7 The beginning of wisdom is to obtain wisdom, and, with all that you possess, to acquire prudence.
8 Hold her close, and she wil make you great; embrace her, and she wil be your pride;	8 Grasp her, and she will exalt you. You will be glorified by her, when you have embraced her.
9 she will provide a graceful garland for your head, bestow a crown of honour on you.'	9 She will bestow upon your head an increase in graces, and she will protect you with a noble crown.
10 Listen, my child, take my words to heart, and the years of your life wil be multiplied.	10 Listen, my son, and accept my words, so that years of life may be multiplied for you.
11 I have educated you in the ways of wisdom, I have guided you along the path of honesty.	11 I will demonstrate to you the way of wisdom. I will lead you along the paths of equity.
12 When you walk, your going wil be unhindered, if you run, you wil not stumble.	12 When you have entered by these, your steps will not be constrained, and when running, you will have no obstacle.
13 Hold fast to discipline, never let her go, keep your eyes on her, she is your life.	13 Take hold of discipline. Do not dismiss it. Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Do not fol ow the path of the wicked, do not walk the way that the evil go.	14 Do not delight in the paths of the impious, nor permit the way of evil-doers to please you.
15 Avoid it, do not take it, turn your back on it, pass it by.	15 Take flight from it. Do not pass close to it. Turn away and abandon it.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they have first done wrong, they miss their sleep if they have not madesomeone stumble;	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 for the bread of wickedness is what they eat, and the wine of violence is what they drink.	17 They eat the bread of impiety, and they drink the wine of iniquity.
18 The path of the upright is like the light of dawn, its brightness growing to the ful ness of 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 as dark as night, they cannot tel the obstacles they stumble over.	19 The way of the impious is darkened. They do not know where they may fall.
20 My child, pay attention to what I am telling you, listen careful y to my words;	20 My son, pay attention to my sermons, and incline your ear to my eloquent words.
21 do not let them out of your sight, keep them deep in your heart.	21 Let them not recede from your eyes. Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them and health to al humanity.	22 For they are life to those who find them and health to all that is flesh.
23 More than al else, keep watch over your heart, since here are the wel springs of life.	23 Preserve your heart with all watchfulness, for life proceeds from this.
24 Turn your back on the mouth that misleads, keep your distance from lips that deceive.	24 Remove from yourself a corrupt mouth, and let detracting lips be far from you.
25 Let your eyes be fixed ahead, your gaze be straight before you.	25 Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids precede your steps.
26 Let the path you tread be level and al your ways be firm.	26 Direct the path of your feet, and all your ways shall be secure.
27 Turn neither to right nor to left, keep your foot clear of evil.	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.