Proverbs 4

DOUAI-RHEIMS	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence.	1 Hear, O children, a father's instruction, be attentive, that you may gain understanding!
2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law.	2 Yes, excellent advice I give you; my teaching do not forsake.
3 For I also was my father's son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother:	3 When I was my father's child, frail, yet the darling of my mother,
4 And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live.	4 He taught me, and said to me: "Let your heart hold fast my words: keep my commands, that you may live!
5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.	5 "Get wisdom, get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words I utter.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee.	6 Forsake her not, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will safeguard you;
7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence.	7 The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom; at the cost of all you have, get understanding.
8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her.	8 Extol her, and she will exalt you; she will bring you honors if you embrace her;
9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown.	9 She will put on your head a graceful diadem; a glorious crown will she bestow on you."
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee.	10 Hear, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life shall be many.
11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity:	11 On the way of wisdom I direct you, I lead you on straightforward paths.
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 walk, your step will not be impeded, and should you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life.	13 Hold fast to instruction, never let her go; keep her, for she is your life.
14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee.	14 The path of the wicked enter not, walk not on the way of evil men;
15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it.	15 Shun it, cross it not, turn aside from it, and pass on.
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 cannot rest unless they have done evil; to have made no one stumble steals away their sleep.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity.	17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
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 shining light, that grows in brilliance till perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall.	19 The way of the wicked is like darkness; they know not on what they stumble.
20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings.	20 My son, to my words be attentive, to my sayings incline your ear;
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart:	21 Let them not slip out of your sight, keep them within 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, to man's whole being they are health.
23 With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.	23 With closest custody, guard your heart, for in it are the sources of life.
24 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and let detracting lips be far from thee.	24 Put away from you dishonest talk, deceitful speech put 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 your glance be directly forward.
26 Make straight the path for thy feet, and all thy ways shall be established.	26 Survey the path for your feet, and let all your ways be sure.
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 neither to right nor to left, keep your foot far from evil.