Proverbs 4
4
Wisdom Is Important
1My children, listen to your father’s teaching.
Pay attention so you will understand.
2What I am telling you is good.
Do not forget what I teach you.
3I was once a young boy in my father’s house.
I was like an only child to my mother.
4And my father taught me and said,
“Hold on to my words with all your heart.
Keep my commands and you will live.
5Get wisdom and understanding.
Don’t forget or ignore my words.
6Use wisdom, and it will take care of you.
Love wisdom, and it will keep you safe.
7Wisdom is the most important thing. So get wisdom.
If it costs everything you have, get understanding.
8Believe in the value of wisdom, and it will make you great.
Use it, and it will bring honor to you.
9Like flowers in your hair, it will beautify your life.
Like a crown, it will make you look beautiful.”
10My child, listen and accept what I say.
Then you will have a long life.
11I am guiding you in wisdom.
And I am leading you to do what is right.
12Nothing will hold you back.
You will not be overwhelmed.
13Always remember what you have been taught.
Don’t let go of it.
Keep safe all that you have learned.
It is the most important thing in your life.
14Don’t follow the ways of the wicked.
Don’t do what evil people do.
15Avoid their ways. Don’t go near what they do.
Stay away from them and keep on going.
16They cannot sleep until they do evil.
They cannot rest until they hurt someone.
17They fill themselves with wickedness and cruelty
as if they were eating bread and drinking wine.
18The way of the good person is like the light of dawn.
It grows brighter and brighter until it is full daylight.
19But the wicked are like those who stumble in the dark.
They can’t even see what has hurt them.
20My child, pay attention to my words.
Listen closely to what I say.
21Don’t ever forget my words.
Keep them deep within your heart.
22These words are the secret to life for those who find them.
They bring health to the whole body.
23Be very careful about what you think.
Your thoughts run your life.
24Don’t use your mouth to tell lies.
Don’t ever say things that are not true.
25Keep your eyes focused on what is right.
Keep looking straight ahead to what is good.
26Be careful what you do.
Always do what is right.
27Do not do anything unless it is right.
Stay away from evil.
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Copyright © 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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®
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.