Proverbs 4-6

¹Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding: ²For I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.

¹Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

²For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

³For I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

⁴And he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live;

³For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth; ⁶Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.

⁷Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

⁶Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

⁷Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

⁸Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

⁹She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of beauty will she deliver to thee.

⁸Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

⁹She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

¹⁰Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

¹¹I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

¹⁰Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

¹¹I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

¹²When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: Keep her; for she is thy life.

¹²When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

¹⁴Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁴Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

¹⁶For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

¹⁶For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

²⁰My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart.

²²For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

²⁰My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

²²For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

²³Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

²³Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

²⁴Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

²⁵Let thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

²⁶Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.

²⁴Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

²⁵Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

²⁶Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

²⁷Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil.

²⁷Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

¹My son, attend unto my wisdom; Incline thine ear to my understanding: ²That thou mayest preserve discretion, And that thy lips may keep knowledge.

¹My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding:

²That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

³For the lips of a strange woman drop honey, And her mouth is smoother than oil:

³For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil:

⁴But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, Sharp as a two-edged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death; Her steps take hold on Sheol; ⁶So that she findeth not the level path of life: Her ways are unstable, and she knoweth it not.

⁴But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

⁶Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.

⁷Now therefore, my sons, hearken unto me, And depart not from the words of my mouth.

⁸Remove thy way far from her, And come not nigh the door of her house;

⁷Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

⁸Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house:

⁹Lest thou give thine honor unto others, And thy years unto the cruel; ¹⁰Lest strangers be filled with thy strength, And thy labors be in the house of an alien, ¹¹And thou mourn at thy latter end, When thy flesh and thy body are consumed, ¹²And say, How have I hated instruction, And my heart despised reproof; ¹³Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

¹⁴I was well-nigh in all evil In the midst of the assembly and congregation.

⁹Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel:

¹⁰Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger;

¹¹And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

¹²And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

¹³And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

¹⁴I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.

¹⁵Drink waters out of thine own cistern, And running waters out of thine own well.

¹⁶Should thy springs be dispersed abroad, And streams of water in the streets?

¹⁷Let them be for thyself alone, And not for strangers with thee.

¹⁸Let thy fountain be blessed; And rejoice in the wife of thy youth.

¹⁹As a loving hind and a pleasant doe, Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; And be thou ravished always with her love.

²⁰For why shouldest thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

¹⁵Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

¹⁶Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

¹⁷Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.

¹⁸Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

¹⁹Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.

²⁰And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

²¹For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah; And he maketh level all his paths.

²¹For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

²²His own iniquities shall take the wicked, And he shall be holden with the cords of his sin.

²³He shall die for lack of instruction; And in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

²²His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.

²³He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

¹My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbor, If thou hast stricken thy hands for a stranger; ²Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, Thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

³Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, Seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbor: Go, humble thyself, and importune thy neighbor;

¹My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

²Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

³Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend.

⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, Nor slumber to thine eyelids; ⁵Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, And as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, thou sluggard; Consider her ways, and be wise:

⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

⁵Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

⁷Which having no chief, Overseer, or ruler, ⁸Provideth her bread in the summer, And gathereth her food in the harvest.

⁷Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

⁸Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.

⁹How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

¹⁰Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep: ¹¹So shall thy poverty come as a robber, And thy want as an armed man.

¹²A worthless person, a man of iniquity, Is he that walketh with a perverse mouth;

⁹How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

¹⁰Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

¹¹So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

¹²A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth.

¹³That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, That maketh signs with his fingers; ¹⁴In whose heart is perverseness, Who deviseth evil continually, Who soweth discord.

¹⁵Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

¹⁶There are six things which Jehovah hateth; Yea, seven which are an abomination unto him:

¹³He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

¹⁴Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.

¹⁵Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

¹⁶These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

¹⁷Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood; ¹⁸A heart that deviseth wicked purposes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, ¹⁹A false witness that uttereth lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.

¹⁷A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

²⁰My son, keep the commandment of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother: ²¹Bind them continually upon thy heart; Tie them about thy neck.

²²When thou walkest, it shall lead thee; When thou sleepest, it shall watch over thee; And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

²³For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; And reproofs of instruction are the way of life: ²⁴To keep thee from the evil woman, From the flattery of the foreigner’s tongue.

²⁰My son, keep thy father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:

²¹Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

²²When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

²³For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

²⁴To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

²⁵Lust not after her beauty in thy heart; Neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

²⁶For on account of a harlot a man is brought to a piece of bread; And the adulteress hunteth for the precious life.

²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Or can one walk upon hot coals, And his feet not be scorched?

²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbor’s wife; Whosoever toucheth her shall not be unpunished.

²⁵Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

²⁶For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

²⁷Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbour’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steal To satisfy himself when he is hungry: ³¹But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; He shall give all the substance of his house.

³²He that committeth adultery with a woman is void of understanding: He doeth it who would destroy his own soul.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

³¹But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

³²But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

³³Wounds and dishonor shall he get; And his reproach shall not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy is the rage of a man; And he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

³³A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

³⁵He will not regard any ransom; Neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

³⁵He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.