Logos Bible Study

Proverbs 4:20–27

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THE STRAIGHT PATH

20My son, pay attention to my words;

listen closely to my sayings.n

21Don’t lose sight of them;o

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,A

for it is the source of life.p

24Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly,q

and don’t let your lips talk deviously.

25Let your eyes look forward;

fix your gazeB straight ahead.r

26Carefully consider the pathC for your feet,s

and all your ways will be established.

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

keep your feet away from evil.

Read in Logos
Proverbs 4:23: Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Footnotes

  1. AOr heart with all diligence
  2. B eyelids
  3. COr Clear a path

Cross references

  1. nPr 5:1
  2. oPr 3:21
  3. pMt 15:19; Mk 7:18–23
  4. qPr 6:12
  5. rHeb 12:2
  6. sPr 5:6,21; Heb 12:13
  7. tDt 5:32–33; 28:13–14; Jos 1:7; 23:6; 1Kg 15:5

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

My son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

Let them not escape from your sight;

keep them within your heart.

For they are life to those who find them,

and healing to all their flesh.

Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.

Put away from you crooked speech,

and put devious talk far from you.

Let your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

Ponder the path of your feet;

then all your ways will be sure.

Do not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

My son, pay attention to what I say;

turn your ear to my words.

Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart;

for they are life to those who find them

and health to one’s whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

Keep your mouth free of perversity;

keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look straight ahead;

fix your gaze directly before you.

Give careful thought to the paths for your feet

and be steadfast in all your ways.

Do not turn to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.

NLTNew Living Translation

My child, pay attention to what I say.

Listen carefully to my words.

Don’t lose sight of them.

Let them penetrate deep into your heart,

for they bring life to those who find them,

and healing to their whole body.

Guard your heart above all else,

for it determines the course of your life.

Avoid all perverse talk;

stay away from corrupt speech.

Look straight ahead,

and fix your eyes on what lies before you.

Mark out a straight path for your feet;

stay on the safe path.

Don’t get sidetracked;

keep your feet from following evil.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

My child, be attentive to my words;

to my sayings incline your ear.

May they not escape from your sight;

keep them in the midst of your heart.

For they are life to those who find them

and healing to the entire body.

With all vigilance, keep your heart,

for from it comes the source of life.

Remove from yourself deceitful speech,

and abolish devious talk from yourself.

May your eyes look forward

and your gaze be straight before you.

May the path of your foot be balanced

and all your ways be sure.

Do not swerve right or left;

remove your foot from evil.

KJV 1900King James Version

My son, attend to my words;

Incline thine ear unto my sayings.

Let them not depart from thine eyes;

Keep them in the midst of thine heart.

For they are life unto those that find them,

And health to all their flesh.

Keep thy heart with all diligence;

For out of it are the issues of life.

Put away from thee a froward mouth,

And perverse lips put far from thee.

Let thine eyes look right on,

And let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Ponder the path of thy feet,

And let all thy ways be established.

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left:

Remove thy foot from evil.