Proverbs 4

A Father’s Example

¹Listen, sons, to a father’s discipline, ^a

and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,

²for I am giving you good instruction. ^b

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. ^c

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; ^d

don’t forget or turn away from the words from my mouth.

⁶Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;

love her, ^e and she will guard you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme #— #so get wisdom.

And whatever else you get, get understanding. ^f

⁸Cherish her, and she will exalt you;

if you embrace her, she will honor you. ^g

⁹She will place a garland of favor on your head;

she will give you a crown of beauty.” ^h

Two Ways of Life

¹⁰Listen, my son. Accept my words, ⁱ

and you will live many years. ^j

¹¹I am teaching you the way of wisdom;

I am guiding you on straight paths. ^k

¹²When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; ^l

when you run, you will not stumble. ^m

¹³Hold on to instruction; don’t let go. ⁿ

Guard it, for it is your life.

¹⁴Keep off the path of the wicked; ^o

don’t proceed on 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. ^p

¹⁷They eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, ^q

shining brighter and brighter until midday.

¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; ^r

they don’t know what makes them stumble. ^s

The Straight Path

²⁰My son, pay attention to my words;

listen closely to my sayings. ^t

²¹Don’t lose sight of them; ^u

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, ^v

for it is the source of life. ^w

²⁴Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly, ^x

and don’t let your lips talk deviously.

²⁵Let your eyes look forward;

fix your gaze ^y straight ahead. ^z

²⁶Carefully consider the path ^aa for your feet, ^ab

and all your ways will be established.

²⁷Don’t turn to the right or to the left; ^ac

keep your feet away from evil.