Proverbs 4

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

Ἀκούσατε, παῖδες, παιδείαν πατρὸς, καὶ προσέχετε γνῶναι ἔννοιαν.

For I give you a good gift; forsake ye not my law.

Δῶρον γὰρ ἀγαθὸν δωροῦμαι ὑμῖν, τὸν ἐμὸν νόμον μὴ ἐγκαταλίπητε.

For I also was a son obedient to my father, and loved in the sight of my mother:

Υἱὸς γὰρ ἐγενόμην κᾀγὼ πατρὶ ὑπήκοος, καὶ ἀγαπώμενος ἐν προσώπῳ μητρός.

who spoke and instructed me, saying, Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep our commandments, forget them not:

Οἳ ἔλεγον καὶ ἐδίδασκόν με, ἐρειδέτω ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος εἰς σὴν καρδίαν· φύλασσε ἐντολὰς,

and do not neglect the speech of my mouth.

μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ· Μηδὲ παρίδῃς ῥῆσιν ἐμοῦ στόματος,

And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee: love it, and it shall keep thee.

μηδὲ ἐγκαταλίπῃς αὐτὴν, καὶ ἀνθέξεταί σου· ἐράσθητι αὐτῆς, καὶ τηρήσει σε.

Secure it, and it shall exalt thee: honour it, that it may embrace thee;

Περιχαράκωσον αὐτὴν, καὶ ὑψώσει σε· τίμησον αὐτὴν, ἵνα σε περιλάβῃ·

that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight.

Ἵνα δῷ τῇ σῇ κεφαλῇ στέφανον χαρίτων, στεφάνῳ δὲ τρυφῆς ὑπερασπίσῃ σου.

Hear, my son, and receive my words; and the years of thy life shall be increased, that the resources of thy life may be many.

Ἄκουε υἱὲ καὶ δέξαι ἐμοὺς λόγους, καὶ πληθυνθήσεται ἔτη ζωῆς σου, ἵνα σοι γένωνται πολλαὶ ὁδοὶ βίου.

For I teach thee the ways of wisdom; and I cause thee to go in right paths.

Ὁδοὺς γὰρ σοφίας διδάσκω σε, ἐμβιβάζω δέ σε τροχιαῖς ὀρθαῖς.

For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed.

Ἐὰν γὰρ πορεύῃ, οὐ συγκλεισθήσεταί σου τὰ διαβήματα· ἐὰν δὲ τρέχῃς, οὐ κοπιάσεις.

Take hold of my instruction; let it not go,—but keep it for thyself for thy life.

Ἐπιλαβοῦ ἐμῆς παιδείας, μὴ ἀφῇς, ἀλλὰ φύλαξον αὐτὴν σεαυτῷ εἰς ζωήν σου.

Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors.

Ὁδοὺς ἀσεβῶν μὴ ἐπέλθῃς, μηδὲ ζηλώσῃς ὁδοὺς παρανόμων.

In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away.

Ἐν ᾧ ἂν τόπῳ στρατοπεδεύσωσι, μὴ ἐπέλθῃς ἐκεὶ, ἔκκλινον δὲ ἀπʼ αὐτῶν καὶ παράλλαξον.

For they cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not.

Οὐ γὰρ μὴ ὑπνώσωσιν, ἐὰν μὴ κακοποιήσωσιν· ἀφῄρηται ὁ ὕπνος αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐ κοιμῶνται.

For these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression.

Οἵδε γὰρ σιτοῦνται σῖτα ἀσεβείας, οἴνῳ δὲ παρανόμῳ μεθύσκονται.

But the ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come.

Αἱ δὲ ὁδοὶ τῶν δικαίων ὁμοίως φωτὶ λάμπουσι, προπορεύονται καὶ φωτίζουσιν, ἕως κατορθώσῃ ἡ ἡμέρα.

But the ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how they stumble.

Αἱ δὲ ὁδοὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶν σκοτειναὶ, οὐκ οἴδασι πῶς προσκόπτουσιν.

My son, attend to my speech; and apply thine ear to my words:

Υἱὲ ἐμῇ ῥήσει πρόσεχε, τοῖς δὲ ἐμοῖς λόγοις παράβαλλε σὸν οὖς.

that thy fountains may not fail thee; keep them in thine heart.

Ὅπως μὴ ἐκλίπωσί σε αἱ πηγαί σου, φύλασσε αὐτὰς ἐν καρδίᾳ.

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

Ζωὴ γάρ ἐστι τοῖς εὑρίσκουσιν αὐτὰς, καὶ πάσῃ σαρκὶ ἴασις.

Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these are the issues of life.

Πάσῃ φυλακῇ τήρει σὴν καρδίαν, ἐκ γὰρ τούτων ἔξοδοι ζωῆς.

Remove from thee a froward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips.

Περίελε σεαυτοῦ σκολιὸν στόμα, καὶ ἄδικα χείλη μακρὰν ἀπὸ σοῦ ἄπωσαι.

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids assent to just things.

Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὀρθὰ βλεπέτωσαν, τὰ δὲ βλέφαρά σου νευέτω δίκαια.

Make straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways aright.

Ὀρθὰς τροχιὰς ποίει σοῖς ποσί, καὶ τὰς ὁδούς σου κατεύθυνε.

Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way:

Μὴ ἐκκλίνῃς εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ, μηδὲ εἰς τὰ ἀριστερά, ἀπόστρεψον δὲ σὸν πόδα ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς·

[for God knows the ways on the right hand, but those on the left are crooked:]

ὁδοὺς γὰρ τὰς ἐκ δεξιῶν οἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς, διεστραμμέναι δέ εἰσιν αἱ ἐξ ἀριστερῶν·

and he will make thy ways straight, and will guide thy steps in peace.

αὐτὸς δὲ ὀρθὰς ποιήσει τὰς τροχιάς σου, τὰς δὲ πορείας σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ προάξει.