Mishle 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.

Learn More About The Orthodox Jewish Bible

Proverbs 4

Cherish Wisdom

1Sons,

listen to ⌞your⌟ father’s discipline,

and pay attention in order to gain understanding.

2After all, I have taught you well.

Do not abandon my teachings.

3When I was a boy ⌞learning⌟ from my father,

when I was a tender and only child of my mother,

4they used to teach me and say to me,

“Cling to my words wholeheartedly.

Obey my commands so that you may live.

5Acquire wisdom.

Acquire understanding.

Do not forget.

Do not turn away from the words that I have spoken.

6Do not abandon wisdom, and it will watch over you.

Love wisdom, and it will protect you.

7The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom.

Acquire understanding with all that you have.

8Cherish wisdom.

It will raise you up.

It will bring you honor when you embrace it.

9It will give you a graceful garland for your head.

It will hand you a beautiful crown.”

Stay on the Path of Wisdom

10My son,

listen and accept my words,

and they will multiply the years of your life.

11I have taught you the way of wisdom.

I have guided you along decent paths.

12When you walk, your stride will not be hampered.

Even if you run, you will not stumble.

13Cling to discipline.

Do not relax your grip on it.

Keep it because it is your life.

14Do not stray onto the path of wicked people.

Do not walk in the way of evil people.

15Avoid it.

Do not walk near it.

Turn away from it,

and keep on walking.

16Wicked people cannot sleep

unless they do wrong,

and they are robbed of their sleep

unless they make someone stumble.

17They eat food obtained through wrongdoing

and drink wine obtained through violence.

18But the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn

that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday.

19The way of wicked people is like deep darkness.

They do not know what makes them stumble.

Stay Focused on Wisdom

20My son,

pay attention to my words.

Open your ears to what I say.

21Do not lose sight of these things.

Keep them deep within your heart

22because they are life to those who find them

and they heal the whole body.

23Guard your heart more than anything else,

because the source of your life flows from it.

24Remove dishonesty from your mouth.

Put deceptive speech far away from your lips.

25Let your eyes look straight ahead

and your sight be focused in front of you.

26Carefully walk a straight path,

and all your ways will be secure.

27Do not lean to the right or to the left.

Walk away from evil.

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