Mishle 4
4
1Hear, ye banim, the musar (instruction, discipline) of an av, and attend to know binah (understanding).
2For I give you lekach tov (good doctrine, good instruction), forsake ye not my torah.
3For I was ben to avi, tender and yachid (an only child) before immi.
4He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine lev retain my words; be shomer over my mitzvot, and live.
5Acquire chochmah, acquire binah (understanding); forget it not; neither turn from the words of my peh (mouth).
6Forsake her not, and she shall be shomer over thee; love her, and she shall protect thee.
7Chochmah is the principal thing; therefore get chochmah, and with all thy getting get binah (understanding).
8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall honor thee with kavod, when thou dost embrace her.
9She shall give to thine head a garland of chen; an ateret (crown) of tiferet (glory) shall she present to thee.
10Hear, O beni (my son), and receive my sayings; and thy shnot chayyim shall be many.
11I have taught thee in the derech chochmah; I have led thee in ma'aglei yosher (right paths).
12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be hindered; and when thou runnest, lo tikashel (thou shalt not stumble).
13Take firm hold of musar; let her not go; guard her; for she is thy chayyim.
14Enter not into the orach resha'im, and go not on the derech ra'im (road of the wicked).
15Avoid it, travel al (not) on it, turn from it, and pass on.
16For they sleep not, unless they have done evil; and their sheynah (sleep) is robbed, unless they cause some to fall.
17For they eat the lechem of resha, and drink the yayin of chamasim (violences).
18But the orach tzaddikim (path of the righteous) is as the bright light, that shineth brighter and brighter unto the full day.
19The derech resha'im is as deep darkness; they know not at what they stumble.
20Beni (my son), attend to my words; incline thine ozen unto my sayings.
21Let them not depart from thine eyes; be shomer over them within thine lev.
22For they are chayyim unto those that find them, and health to all their basar.
23Set watch over and guard thy lev with all diligence; for out of it are the totze'ot chayyim (issues, wellsprings of life).#4:23 cf Mk 7:20-23
24Put away from thee a deceitful peh (mouth), and perverse sfatayim (lips) put far from thee.
25Let thine eynayim look straight forward, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26Ponder the ma'agal (path) of thy raglayim, and let all thy drakhim be firm.
27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy regel from rah.#4:27 T.N. Everyone in life has two paths to choose from just as Moshiach Tzidkeinu spoke of two gates, a wide one crowded with traffic and leading to destruction, and another one found by few but leading to life and redemption — Mt 7:13-14
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Mishle 4: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Proverbs 4
4
Get Wisdom at Any Cost
1My sons, listen to a father’s teaching.
Pay attention and gain understanding.
2I give you good advice.
So don’t turn away from what I teach you.
3I, too, was once a young boy in my father’s house.
And my mother loved me deeply.
4Then my father taught me.
He said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart.
Keep my commands, and you will live.
5Get wisdom, and get understanding.
Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
6Stay close to wisdom, and she will keep you safe.
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7To start being wise you must first get wisdom.
No matter what it costs, get understanding.
8Value wisdom highly, and she will lift you up.
Hold her close, and she will honor you.
9She will set a beautiful crown on your head.
She will give you a glorious crown.”
10My son, listen. Accept what I say.
Then you will live for many years.
11I instruct you in the way of wisdom.
I lead you along straight paths.
12When you walk, nothing will slow you down.
When you run, you won’t trip and fall.
13Hold on to my teaching and don’t let it go.
Guard it well, because it is your life.
14Don’t take the path of evil people.
Don’t live the way sinners do.
15Stay away from their path and don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it and go on your way.
16Sinners can’t rest until they do what is evil.
They can’t sleep until they make someone sin.
17They do evil just as easily as they eat food.
They hurt others as easily as they drink wine.
18The path of those who do right is like the sun in the morning.
It shines brighter and brighter until the full light of day.
19But the way of those who do what is wrong is like deep darkness.
They don’t know what makes them trip and fall.
20My son, pay attention to what I say.
Listen closely to my words.
21Don’t let them out of your sight.
Keep them in your heart.
22They are life to those who find them.
They are health to a person’s whole body.
23Above everything else, guard your heart.
Everything you do comes from it.
24Don’t speak with twisted words.
Keep evil talk away from your lips.
25Let your eyes look straight ahead.
Keep looking right in front of you.
26Think carefully about the paths that your feet walk on.
Always choose the right ways.
27Don’t turn to the right or left.
Keep your feet from the path of evil.
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.