Proverbs 4
4
A Father’s Instruction
1Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father,
And give attention that you may gain understanding,
2For I give you sound teaching;
Do not abandon my instruction.
3When I was a son to my father,
Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother,
4Then he taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
Keep my commandments and live;
5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
Love her, and she will watch over you.
7The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
8Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9She will place on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10Hear, my son, and accept my sayings
And the years of your life will be many.
11I have directed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
12When you walk, your steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you will not stumble.
13Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life.
14Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil men.
15Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16For they cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17For they eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.
18But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day.
19The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they stumble.
20My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21Do not let them depart from your sight;
Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22For they are life to those who find them
And health to all their body.
23Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.
24Put away from you a deceitful mouth
And put devious speech far from you.
25Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26Watch the path of your feet
And all your ways will be established.
27Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
Turn your foot from evil.
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Proverbs 4: NASB1995
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Proverbs 4
4
A Father’s Advice About Wisdom
1Children, listen to your father’s teaching. Pay attention and you will learn how to learn. 2The advice I give is good, so don’t ever forget what I teach you.
3When I was my father’s little boy and my mother’s dear son,#4:3 dear son Or “only son.” 4my father taught me this: “Pay attention to what I say. Obey my commands and you will have a good life. 5Try to get wisdom and understanding. Don’t forget my teaching or ignore what I say. 6Don’t turn away from wisdom, and she will protect you. Love her, and she will keep you safe.
7“The first step to becoming wise is to look for wisdom, so use everything you have to get understanding. 8Love wisdom, and she will make you great. Hold on to wisdom, and she will bring you honor. 9Wisdom will reward you with a crown of honor and glory.”
10Son, listen to me. Do what I say, and you will live a long time. 11I am teaching you about wisdom and guiding you on the right path. 12As you walk on it, you will not step into a trap. Even if you run, you will not trip and fall. 13Always remember this teaching. Don’t forget it. It is the key to life, so guard it well.
14Don’t take the path of the wicked; don’t follow those who do evil. 15Stay away from that path; don’t even go near it. Turn around and go another way. 16The wicked cannot sleep until they have done something evil. They will not rest until they bring someone down. 17Evil and violence are their food and drink.
18The path of those who live right is like the early morning light. It gets brighter and brighter until the full light of day. 19But the path of the wicked is like a dark night. They trip and fall over what they cannot see.
20My son, pay attention to what I say. Listen closely to my words. 21Don’t let them out of your sight. Never stop thinking about them. 22These words are the secret of life and health to all who discover them. 23Above all, be careful what you think because your thoughts control your life.
24Don’t bend the truth or say things that you know are not right. 25Keep your eyes on the path, and look straight ahead. 26Make sure you are going the right way, and nothing will make you fall. 27Don’t go to the right or to the left, and you will stay away from evil.
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