Proverbs 4:1–27

A Father’s Wise Instruction

4^fHear, O sons, a father’s instruction,

and be attentive, that you may ^ggain¹ insight,

²for I give you good ^hprecepts;

do not forsake my teaching.

³When I was a son with my father,

ⁱtender, ^jthe only one in the sight of my mother,

⁴he ^ktaught me and said to me,

^l“Let your heart hold fast my words;

^mkeep my commandments, and live.

⁵ⁿGet wisdom; get ^ginsight;

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

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

^olove her, and she will guard you.

^7pThe beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,

and whatever you get, get ^ginsight.

⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;

she will ^qhonor you ^rif you embrace her.

⁹She will place on your head ^sa graceful garland;

she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

^10fHear, ^tmy son, and accept my words,

that ^uthe years of your life may be many.

¹¹I have ^vtaught you the way of wisdom;

I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

¹²When you walk, ^wyour step will not be hampered,

and ^xif you run, you will not stumble.

^13yKeep hold of instruction; do not let go;

guard her, for she is your ^zlife.

^14aDo 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 ^bcannot sleep unless they have done wrong;

they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness

^cand drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But ^dthe path of the righteous is like ^ethe light of dawn,

which shines ^fbrighter and brighter until ^gfull day.

^19hThe way of the wicked is like deep ⁱdarkness;

they do not know over what they ^jstumble.

^20kMy son, be attentive to my words;

incline your ear to my sayings.

^21lLet them not escape from your sight;

^mkeep them within your heart.

²²For they are ⁿlife to those who find them,

and healing to all their² flesh.

²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for ^ofrom it flow ^pthe springs of life.

²⁴Put away from you ^qcrooked speech,

and put ^rdevious talk far from you.

^25sLet your eyes look directly forward,

and your gaze be straight before you.

^26tPonder³ the path of your feet;

^uthen all your ways will be sure.

^27vDo not swerve to the right or to the left;

turn your foot away from evil.