Provérbios 4
Hør, I sønner, på en Faders lyt til for at vinde Forstand;
thi gavnlig Viden giver jeg jer, slip ej hvad jeg har lært jer.
Da jeg var min Faders Dreng, min Moders Kælebarn og eneste,
lærte han mig og sagde: Lad dit Hjerte gribe om mine Ord, vogt mine Bud, så skal du leve;
køb Visdom, køb Forstand, du glemme det ikke, vend dig ej bort fra min Munds Ord;
slip den ikke, så vil den vogte dig, elsk den, så vil den værne dig!
Køb Visdom for det bedste, du ejer, køb Forstand for alt, hvad du har;
hold den højt, så bringer den dig højt til Vejrs, den bringer dig Ære, når du favner den;
den sætter en yndig Krans på dit Hoved; den rækker dig en dejlig Krone.
Hør, min Søn, tag imod mine Ord, så bliver dine Leveår mange.
Jeg viser dig Visdommens Vej, leder dig ad Rettens Spor;
når du går, skal din Gang ej hæmmes, og løber du, snubler du ikke;
hold fast ved Tugt, lad den ikke fare, tag Vare på den, thi den er dit Liv.
Kom ikke på gudløses Sti, skrid ej frem ad de ondes Vej.
sky den og følg den ikke, vig fra den, gå udenom;
thi de sover ikke, når de ikke har syndet, og Søvnen flyr dem, når de ej har bragt Fald.
Thi de æder Gudløsheds Brød og drikker Urettens Vin.
men retfærdiges Sti er som strålende Lys, der vokser i Glans til højlys Dag:
Gudløses Vej er som Mørket, de skønner ej, hvad de snubler over,
Mærk dig, min Søn, mine Ord, bøj Øret til, hvad jeg siger;
det slippe dig ikke af Syne, du vogte det dybt i dit Hjerte;
thi det er Liv for dem, der finder det, Helse for alt deres Kød.
Vogt dit Hjerte mer end alt andet, thi derfra udspringer Livet.
Hold dig fra Svig med din Mund, lad Læbernes Falskhed være dig fjern.
Lad dine Øjne se lige ud, dit Blik skue lige frem;
gå ad det lige Spor, lad alle dine Veje sigte mod Målet;
bøj hverken til højre eller venstre, lad Foden vige fra ondt!
Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
For I was my father's son, tender and only {beloved} in the sight of my mother.
He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget {it} not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
Wisdom {is} the principal thing; {therefore} get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. {a crown...: or, she shall compass thee with a crown of glory}
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
Take fast hold of instruction; let {her} not go: keep her; for she {is} thy life.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil {men}.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause {some} to fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the just {is} as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
The way of the wicked {is} as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
For they {are} life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. {health: Heb. medicine}
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it {are} the issues of life. {with...: Heb. above all keeping}
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. {a froward...: Heb. frowardness of mouth and perverseness of lips}
Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. {let...: or, all thy ways shall be ordered aright}
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.