Proverbs 4

A Father's Wise Instruction

¹Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,

and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

²for I give you good precepts;

do not forsake my teaching.

³When I was a son with my father,

tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

⁴he taught me and said to me,

“Let your heart hold fast my words;

keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom; get insight;

do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;

love her, and she will guard you.

⁷The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get insight.

⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her.

⁹She will place on your head a graceful garland;

she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰Hear, my son, and accept my words,

that the years of your life may be many.

¹¹I have taught you the way of wisdom;

I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

¹²When you walk, your step will not be hampered,

and if you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Keep 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 walk in the way of the evil.

¹⁵Avoid it; do not go on it;

turn away from it and pass on.

¹⁶For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made 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,

which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;

they do not know over what they stumble.

²⁰My son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not escape from your sight;

keep them within your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them,

and healing to all their flesh.

²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.

²⁴Put away from you crooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

²⁶Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure.

²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.