Châm Ngôn 4

Get wisdom at any cost

¹Listen, sons, to the correction a father gives; \q pay attention, and you will gain understanding. ²What I am giving you is sound teaching; \q do not walk away from my instruction. ³When I was a boy in my father’s house, \q young and tender, my mother’s dearest child, ⁴he taught me and said to me, \q “Hold on to my words with all your heart; \q keep my commands and you will live. ⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; \q do not forget what I have said, or turn away from it. ⁶Do not leave her, and she will watch over you; \q love her, and she will protect you. ⁷This is where wisdom starts: get wisdom. \q Spend all you have, if you must, to get understanding.^{a 8}Cherish her, and she will lift you up; \q hold her close, and she will bring you honor. ⁹She will set a lovely wreath on your head \q and present you with a glorious crown.” ¹⁰Listen, my son, and take in what I say, \q and you will have many years of life. ¹¹I have taught you the way of wisdom \q and guided you along straight paths. ¹²When you walk, nothing will hem in your steps; \q when you run, you will not trip. ¹³Grip discipline tightly and do not let it go; \q guard it well, for it is your life. ¹⁴Do not step onto the road the wicked take, \q or go marching along the way of evil people. ¹⁵Keep clear of it, and do not travel on it; \q turn away from it and keep going. ¹⁶For they cannot sleep until they have done some harm; \q they lie awake unless they have brought someone down. ¹⁷Wickedness is the bread they eat, \q and violence the wine they drink. ¹⁸But the road the righteous walk is like the light at daybreak, \q shining brighter and brighter until it is broad day. ¹⁹The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; \q they do not even know what makes them fall.

Guard your heart

²⁰My son, pay attention to what I say; \q turn your ear to my words. ²¹Do not let them out of your sight; \q keep them deep within your heart. ²²To those who find them they are life, \q and health for their whole body. ²³More than anything you protect, protect your heart, \q because the whole course of your life flows out of it.^{b 24}Rid yourself of a crooked mouth; \q keep lying lips far away from you. ²⁵Keep your eyes on what is in front of you, \q and fix your gaze on the road ahead. ²⁶Make the path for your feet level, \q and every road you take will be firm. ²⁷Do not veer off to either side; \q keep your feet away from evil.^c