Proverbs 4
4
A Father’s Example
1Listen, my sons, to a father’s discipline, # Ps 34:11; Pr 1:8
and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,
2for I am giving you good instruction. # Jb 11:4
Don’t abandon my teaching.
3When I was a son with my father,
tender and precious to my mother,
4he taught me and said:
“Your heart must hold on to my words.
Keep my commands and live. # Pr 3:1-2; 6:20-23; 7:1-2
5Get wisdom, get understanding; # Pr 16:16
don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.
6Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;
love her, # 2Th 2:10 and she will guard you.
7Wisdom is supreme — so get wisdom.
And whatever else you get, get understanding. # Pr 16:16
8Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you. # 1Sm 2:30
9She will place a garland of grace on your head;
she will give you a crown of beauty.” # Pr 1:9; 16:31
Two Ways of Life
10Listen, my son. Accept my words, # Pr 2:1
and you will live many years. # Pr 3:2
11I am teaching you the way of wisdom;
I am guiding you on straight paths. # 1Sm 12:23
12When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; # Jb 18:7; Ps 18:36
when you run, you will not stumble. # Pr 3:23
13Hold on to instruction; don’t let go. # Pr 3:18
Guard it, for it is your life.
14Don’t set foot on the path of the wicked; # Ps 1:1; Pr 1:15
don’t proceed in the way of evil ones.
15Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.
16For they can’t sleep
unless they have done what is evil;
they are robbed of sleep
unless they make someone stumble. # Ps 36:4; Mc 2:1
17They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, # 2Sm 23:4
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; # Is 59:9-10; Jr 23:12; Jn 12:35
they don’t know what makes them stumble. # Pr 24:16; Jn 11:10
The Straight Path
20My son, pay attention to my words;
listen closely to my sayings. # Pr 5:1
21Don’t lose sight of them; # Pr 3:21
keep them within your heart.
22For they are life to those who find them,
and health to one’s whole body.
23Guard your heart above all else, # Or heart with all diligence
for it is the source of life. # Mt 15:19; Mk 7:18-23
24Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, # Pr 6:12
and don’t let your lips talk deviously.
25Let your eyes look forward;
fix your gaze # Lit eyelids straight ahead. # Heb 12:2
26Carefully consider the path # Or Clear a path for your feet, # Pr 5:6,21; Heb 12:13
and all your ways will be established.
27Don’t turn to the right or to the left; # Dt 5:32-33; 28:13-14; Jos 1:7; 23:6; 1Kg 15:5
keep your feet away from evil.
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Proverbs 4
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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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.