Proverbs 4

Cherish Wisdom

1 Sons,listen to your father’s discipline,and pay attention in order to gain understanding.2 After all, I have taught you well.Do not abandon my teachings.3 When I was a boy learning from my father,when I was a tender and only child of my mother,4 they used to teach me and say to me,“Cling to my words wholeheartedly.Obey my commands so that you may live.5 Acquire wisdom.Acquire understanding.Do not forget.Do not turn away from the words that I have spoken.6 Do not abandon wisdom, and it will watch over you.Love wisdom, and it will protect you.7 The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom.Acquire understanding with all that you have.8 Cherish wisdom.It will raise you up.It will bring you honor when you embrace it.9 It will give you a graceful garland for your head.It will hand you a beautiful crown.”

Stay on the Path of Wisdom

10 My son,listen and accept my words,and they will multiply the years of your life.11 I have taught you the way of wisdom.I have guided you along decent paths.12 When you walk, your stride will not be hampered.Even if you run, you will not stumble.13 Cling to discipline.Do not relax your grip on it.Keep it because it is your life.14 Do not stray onto the path of wicked people.Do not walk in the way of evil people.15 Avoid it.Do not walk near it.Turn away from it,and keep on walking.16 Wicked people cannot sleepunless they do wrong,and they are robbed of their sleepunless they make someone stumble.17 They eat food obtained through wrongdoingand drink wine obtained through violence.18 But the path of righteous people is like the light of dawnthat becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday.19 The way of wicked people is like deep darkness.They do not know what makes them stumble.

Stay Focused on Wisdom

20 My son,pay attention to my words.Open your ears to what I say.21 Do not lose sight of these things.Keep them deep within your heart22 because they are life to those who find themand they heal the whole body.23 Guard your heart more than anything else,because the source of your life flows from it.24 Remove dishonesty from your mouth.Put deceptive speech far away from your lips.25 Let your eyes look straight aheadand your sight be focused in front of you.26 Carefully walk a straight path,and all your ways will be secure.27 Do not lean to the right or to the left.Walk away from evil.

Proverbs 4

1 Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding:

2 For I give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my law.

3 For I was a son unto my father, Tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

4 And he taught me, and said unto me: Let thy heart retain my words; Keep my commandments, and live;

5 Get wisdom, get understanding; Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;

6 Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep thee.

7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding.

8 Exalt her, and she will promote thee; She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.

9 She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of beauty will she deliver to thee.

10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; And the years of thy life shall be many.

11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness.

12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: Keep her; for she is thy life.

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil men.

15 Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on.

16 For they sleep not, except they do evil; And their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

18 But the path of the righteous is as the dawning light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

19 The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.

20 My son, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; Keep them in the midst of thy heart.

22 For they are life unto those that find them, And health to all their flesh.

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.

24 Put away from thee a wayward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee.

25 Let thine eyes look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26 Make level the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established.

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil.