God's New Bible

The Proverbs

Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: World English Bible Catholic

- Chapter 4 -

An admonition of a father to his son. Acquiring wisdom

1
Listen, children, listen to what I am teaching you. If you pay attention, you will learn about what it means to understand.
2
The lessons I give to you are good teaching, given in order. So do not refuse to learn the lessons I teach you.
3
When I was my father’s boy, and the only child of my mother,
4
my father told me, “Put my words deep within you, obey my orders to you, and you will have life.
5
Hold on to what is wise and whatever helps you understand, and do not forget the lessons I taught you and do not throw away the insights I spoke to you.
6
Do not run away from the lessons which the wise teach you, because if you become wise, wisdom will keep you safe. Love wisdom and it will guard your life.
7
The most important thing you can do is to study the principles of wisdom and spend all you own so you can grow more and more in your understanding.
8
Wisdom is to be loved more than anything that is valuable, and she will raise you to a high position, and wisdom will honor you when you show how much you love it.
9
When you have attained wisdom, it will be like a beautiful wreath of honor on your head; she will give you a beautiful crown.”

The way of the wise and the way of the unrighteous

10
Hear, my son, listen and understand what I say to you, do this, and you will live a long life.
11
I directed you in the way you should walk and to use the wisdom you were taught; I led you by the hand down the roads, roads that are the right way for you to go.
12
When you live, you do not have anyone to blame; if you live wisely, when you use all your effort, you will succeed.
13
Remember the lessons that discipline taught you, and do not let them go. Guard them; for you live your life by them.
14
Do not do what wicked people do, nor be with them; do not be with people who do evil things.
15
Stay far from those ways; turn another way and go on another road.
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Evil people cannot rest until they have done something that Yahweh said they must not do. They will not rest until they force someone to fall, someone who was doing well until they came along.
17
They get their strength, and they are fed by doing what is wrong; and they are intoxicated by hurting others; they get drunk on it.
18
The path taken by those who do right grows brighter and brighter, like the rising of the sun at dawn, and it shines brighter and brighter until it is as full as the light of day.
19
The actions of the wicked are like the darkness, they stumble because they cannot see what makes them fall.

A father's admonition

20
My son, pay attention to what I am saying to you. Pay attention to these lessons I am teaching you.
21
Keep reading them over and over, and keep them deep within you.
22
For my words bring a message of life to those who pay attention to them, and their message brings health to the entire body.
23
Protect your heart with all your strength and guard what you love; guard it, for it becomes a fountain overflowing with life.
24
Make it your aim to keep away from you any lying speech, and put any deceptive talk far away.
25
Look straight ahead because you are focused on what is good and right, and do not turn aside to the right or to the left.
26
Take care about where you will go, and take care to be sure that the way is safe; then you will know what to expect along the way.
27
Do not leave the straight road by turning to the left or to the right, and do not follow the way that leads to evil.

An admonition of a father to his son. Acquiring wisdom

1
Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2
for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
3
For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
4
He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5
Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8
Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
9
She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

The way of the wise and the way of the unrighteous

10
Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
11
I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
12
When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13
Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
14
Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15
Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16
For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
17
For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
19
The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.

A father's admonition

20
My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
21
Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
22
For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
23
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24
Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26
Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27
Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.