Provérbios 4

¹ Hear, ye children, the instruction of aHe speaks this as a preacher and minister which is as a father to the people, (Pro_2:8).father, and attend to know understanding.

² For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.

³ For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,

⁴ HeMeaning, David his father.taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

⁵ Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.

⁶ Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.

⁷ He shows that we must first begin with God's word, if we will that other things prosper with us, contrary to the judgment of the world, which make it their last study, or else care not for it at all.Wisdom [is] the principal thing; [therefore] get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

⁸ Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.

⁹ She shal giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shal giue thee a crowne of glorie.

¹⁰ Heare, my sonne, & receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.

¹¹ I haveSolomon declares what care his father had to bring him up in the true fear of God: for this was David's protest.taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

¹² When thou goest, thy steps shall not beYou will walk at liberty without offence.straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³ Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.

¹⁴ Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.

¹⁵ Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.

¹⁶ For theyMeaning that to do evil is more proper and natural to the wicked than to sleep, eat or drink.sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause [some] to fall.

¹⁷ For they eat the bread ofGotten my wicked means and cruel oppression.wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ But the path of the just [is] as the shining light, thatSignifying that the godly increase daily in knowledge and perfection, till they come to full persecution, which is when the are joined to their head in the heavens.shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

¹⁹ The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.

²⁰ My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.

²¹ Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.

²² For they [are] life unto those that find them, and health to all theirThat is, they will have health of body: under which all other blessings promised in the law are contained.flesh.

²³ Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues ofFor as the heart is either pure or corrupt, so is the whole course of man's life.life.

²⁴ Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.

²⁵ Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyeliddes direct thy way before thee.

²⁶ Keep a measure in all your doings.Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

²⁷ Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.