Security in Wisdom

Hear, (A)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
When I was my father’s son,
(B)Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
(C)He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
(D)Keep my commands, and live.
(E)Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
(F)Love her, and she will keep you.
(G)Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
(H)Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
She will place on your head (I)an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
(J)And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have (K)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, (L)your steps will not be hindered,
(M)And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.

14 (N)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (O)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [a]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.

18 (P)But the path of the just (Q)is like the shining [b]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (R)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of (S)life.
24 Put away from you a [c]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your (T)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:16 Lit. robbed
  2. Proverbs 4:18 Lit. light
  3. Proverbs 4:24 devious

Mga anak, pakinggan ninyong mabuti ang mga pagtutuwid ng inyong ama sa inyong pag-uugali, upang lumawak ang inyong pang-unawa. Mabuti ang itinuturo kong ito, kaya huwag ninyong ipagwalang bahala. Noong bata pa ako at nasa piling pa ng aking mga magulang, mahal na mahal ako ng aking ina bilang nag-iisang anak. Tinuruan ako ni ama. Sinabi niya sa akin, “Anak, ingatan mo sa iyong puso ang mga itinuturo ko. Sundin mo ang mga utos ko at mabubuhay ka nang matagal. Pagsikapan mong magkaroon ng karunungan at pang-unawa. Huwag mong kalilimutan ang mga sinasabi ko at huwag kang hihiwalay dito. Huwag mong tanggihan ang karunungan, sa halip pahalagahan mo ito, dahil iingatan ka nito. Pinakamahalaga sa lahat ang karunungan at pang-unawa. Sikapin mong magkaroon nito kahit na maubos pa ang lahat ng kayamanan mo. Tanggapin moʼt pahalagahan ang karunungan, dahil magbibigay ito sa iyo ng karangalan. Magiging parang koronang bulaklak ito na magbibigay sa iyo ng kagandahan.”

10 Anak, pakinggan mo at tanggapin ang mga sinasabi ko sa iyo upang humaba ang iyong buhay. 11 Tinuruan na kita ng karunungan, kung paano mamuhay sa katuwiran. 12 Kung susundin mo ito, walang makakasagabal sa buhay mo at maliligtas ka sa anumang kapahamakan. 13 Huwag mong kalilimutan ang pagtutuwid ko sa iyong pag-uugali; ingatan mo ito sa puso mo sapagkat mabubuhay ka sa pamamagitan nito.

14 Huwag mong gagayahin ang ginagawa ng mga taong masama. 15 Iwasan mo ito at patuloy kang mamuhay nang matuwid. 16 Sapagkat ang taong masama ay hindi makatulog kapag hindi nakakagawa ng masama o walang naipapahamak. 17 Ang pagkain nila ay paggawa ng kasamaan at ang inumin nila ay paggawa ng karahasan.

18 Ang pamumuhay ng taong matuwid ay parang sikat ng araw na lalong nagliliwanag habang tumatagal. 19 Pero ang pamumuhay ng taong masama ay parang kadiliman; hindi niya alam kung ano ang dahilan ng kanyang pagbagsak.

20 Anak, pakinggan mong mabuti ang itinuturo ko sa iyo. 21 Huwag mo itong kalilimutan kundi ingatan sa puso mo. 22 Sapagkat magbibigay ito ng malusog na katawan at mahabang buhay sa sinumang makakasumpong nito.

23 Higit sa lahat, ingatan mo ang iyong isipan, sapagkat kung ano ang iyong iniisip iyon din ang magiging buhay mo. 24 Huwag kang magsalita ng kasinungalingan at walang kabuluhan. 25 Ituon mo ang iyong paningin sa mga bagay na mabuti. 26 Pag-isipan mong mabuti ang iyong mga gagawin upang magtagumpay ka. 27 Mamuhay ka sa katuwiran at layuan mo ang kasamaan.

A Father's Wise Instruction

(A)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may (B)gain[a] insight,
for I give you good (C)precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
    (D)tender, (E)the only one in the sight of my mother,
he (F)taught me and said to me,
(G)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
    (H)keep my commandments, and live.
(I)Get wisdom; get (J)insight;
    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
    (K)love her, and she will guard you.
(L)The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
    and whatever you get, get (M)insight.
Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
    she will (N)honor you (O)if you embrace her.
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

  1. Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
  2. Proverbs 4:22 Hebrew his
  3. Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level

Listen, children, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention, in order to gain insight;
for I am giving you good advice;
so don’t abandon my teaching.
For I too was once a child to my father;
and my mother, too, thought of me as her special darling.
He too taught me; he said to me,
“Let your heart treasure my words;
keep my commands, and live;
gain wisdom, gain insight;
don’t forget or turn from the words I am saying.
Don’t abandon [wisdom]; then she will preserve you;
love her, and she will protect you.
The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom!
And along with all your getting, get insight!
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will bring you honor;
she will give your head a garland of grace,
bestow on you a crown of glory.”

10 Listen, my son, receive what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.
11 I’m directing you on the way of wisdom,
guiding you in paths of uprightness;
12 when you walk, your step won’t be hindered;
and if you run, you won’t stumble.
13 Hold fast to discipline, don’t let it go;
guard it, for it is your life.

14 Don’t follow the path of the wicked
or walk on the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it, don’t go on it,
turn away from it, and pass on.
16 For they can’t sleep if they haven’t done evil,
they are robbed of sleep 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 light of dawn,
shining ever brighter until full daylight.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness;
they don’t even know what makes them stumble.

20 My son, pay attention to what I am saying;
incline your ear to my words.
21 Don’t let them out of your sight,
keep them deep in your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to their whole being.

23 Above everything else, guard your heart;
for it is the source of life’s consequences.
24 Keep crooked speech out of your mouth,
banish deceit from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze on what lies in front of you.
26 Level the path for your feet,
let all your ways be properly prepared;
27 then deviate neither right nor left;
and keep your foot far from evil.