Proverbs 4

¹Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction.

Pay attention and know understanding;

²for I give you sound learning.

Don’t forsake my law.

³For I was a son to my father,

tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me, and said to me:

“Let your heart retain my words.

Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom.

Get understanding.

Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.

⁶Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you.

Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme.

Get wisdom.

Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you.

She will bring you to honour when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace.

She will deliver a crown of splendour to you.”

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings.

The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom.

I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered.

When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction.

Don’t let her go.

Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Don’t enter into the path of the wicked.

Don’t walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and don’t pass by it.

Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they don’t sleep unless they do evil.

Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness

and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light

that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness.

They don’t know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words.

Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes.

Keep them in the centre of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them,

and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence,

for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth.

Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead.

Fix your gaze directly before you.

²⁶Make the path of your feet level.

Let all of your ways be established.

²⁷Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left.

Remove your foot from evil.