Proverbs 4
EasyEnglish Bible
Choose what is good and right
4 My children, listen to what your father teaches you. Listen carefully so that you understand what is right. 2 My teaching will help you, so do not refuse it.
3-4 My father taught me when I was a little boy. My mother loved me as her only child. My father said to me,
‘Think carefully about what I tell you.
If you obey my commands, you will live well.
5 Learn to be wise and to understand things properly.
Do not forget my teaching or turn away from it.
6 If you keep hold of wisdom, she will keep you safe.
She will protect you if you love her.[a]
7 Learn to be wise, because wisdom is the most important thing to have.
Make sure that you learn to understand things well.
8 Respect wisdom as very valuable, then she will make you great.
If you make her your friend, she will give you honour.
9 Wisdom will bless you, as if you are wearing a beautiful crown on your head.’
10 So listen to me, my child, and accept my teaching. If you do, the years of your life will be many.
11 I am teaching you to be wise, so that you will know the right way to live. 12 As you walk through life, nothing will stop you. Even when you run, you will not fall.
13 Keep hold of my teaching. Do not forget it. Keep it safe because it will give you a good life.
14 Do not join with wicked or evil people. Do not do the things that they do. 15 Keep away from them! Be sure to keep to your own good way of life.
16 Wicked people have to do evil things. They cannot go to sleep unless they have been cruel to someone that day. 17 Evil acts are their food. Violence is their drink.
18 The life of righteous people is like the sun at dawn. It gets brighter and brighter until midday. 19 But the life of wicked people is like a very dark road. They cannot even see what causes them to fall.
20 My child, listen carefully to my teaching and to everything that I tell you. 21 Never forget my words. Keep them safe in your mind. 22 They will give true life to anyone who takes hold of them. They will give health to your whole body.
23 Be very careful to keep your mind safe. The thoughts that you think make you the person that you are.
24 Never tell lies or try to deceive other people.
25 Look straight in front of you to see clearly where you are going. 26 Decide carefully where you are going in life. Then you will be on a good, safe path. 27 Do not walk off your path, to the right side or the left side. Keep away from everything that is evil.
Footnotes
- 4:6 ‘She’. In the Book of Proverbs, wisdom is like a woman. See Proverbs 1:20.
Proverbs 4
English Standard Version
A Father's Wise Instruction
4 (A)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
and be attentive, that you may (B)gain[a] insight,
2 for I give you good (C)precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
(D)tender, (E)the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he (F)taught me and said to me,
(G)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
(H)keep my commandments, and live.
5 (I)Get wisdom; get (J)insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
(K)love her, and she will guard you.
7 (L)The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get (M)insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will (N)honor you (O)if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (P)a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
10 (Q)Hear, (R)my son, and accept my words,
that (S)the years of your life may be many.
11 I have (T)taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, (U)your step will not be hampered,
and (V)if you run, you will not stumble.
13 (W)Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your (X)life.
14 (Y)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (Z)cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
(AA)and drink the wine of violence.
18 But (AB)the path of the righteous is like (AC)the light of dawn,
which shines (AD)brighter and brighter until (AE)full day.
19 (AF)The way of the wicked is like deep (AG)darkness;
they do not know over what they (AH)stumble.
20 (AI)My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (AJ)Let them not escape from your sight;
(AK)keep them within your heart.
22 For they are (AL)life to those who find them,
and healing to all their[b] flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for (AM)from it flow (AN)the springs of life.
24 Put away from you (AO)crooked speech,
and put (AP)devious talk far from you.
25 (AQ)Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 (AR)Ponder[c] the path of your feet;
(AS)then all your ways will be sure.
27 (AT)Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
- Proverbs 4:22 Hebrew his
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
箴言 4
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Simplified)
父亲的教诲
4 孩子们啊，
你们要听从父亲的教诲，
留心学习，以便领悟，
2 因为我给你们的训诲是美好的，
不可背弃我的教导。
3 我年幼时在父亲身边，
是母亲唯一的宠儿。
4 父亲教导我说：
“要牢记我的话，
遵守我的诫命，就必存活。
5 你要寻求智慧和悟性，
不要忘记或违背我的吩咐。
6 不可离弃智慧，智慧必护佑你；
你要热爱智慧，智慧必看顾你。
7 智慧至上，要寻求智慧，
要不惜一切，求得悟性。
8 高举智慧，她必使你受尊崇；
拥抱智慧，她必使你得尊荣。
9 她必为你戴上华冠，
加上荣冕。”
10 孩子啊，你要听从我的教导，
就必延年益寿。
11 我已经指示你走智慧之道，
引导你行正确的路。
12 你行走，必不受妨碍；
你奔跑，绝不会跌倒。
13 你要持守教诲，不要松懈；
要守护好，因为那是你的生命。
14 不要涉足恶人的道，
不要行走坏人的路；
15 要避开，不可踏足，
要绕道而行。
16 因为他们不作恶就无法入睡，
不绊倒人就无法安眠；
17 他们吃的是邪恶饼，
喝的是残暴酒。
18 义人的道路好像黎明的曙光，
越照越亮，直到大放光明。
19 恶人的道路一片幽暗，
他们不知被何物绊倒。
20 孩子啊，你要聆听我的吩咐，
侧耳听我的训言；
21 不要让它们离开你的视线，
要牢记在心。
22 因为得到它们就得到生命，
全身也必康健。
23 要一丝不苟地守护你的心，
因为生命之泉从心中涌出。
24 不讲欺诈之言，
不说荒谬的话。
25 眼睛要正视前方，
双目要向前直看。
26 要铺平脚下的路，
使所行之道稳妥。
27 不可偏右偏左，
要远离恶事。
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