Proverbs 4:1–27

The Father’s Wisdom

4Children, listen to the instruction of a father,

and be attentive in order to know insight.

²For I have given you good instruction;

do not forsake my teaching.

³When I was a son to my father,

tender and alone before my mother,

⁴he taught me and said to me,

“May your heart hold fast to my words;

guard my commandments and live.

⁵Get wisdom and insight;

do not forget and do not turn from the sayings of my mouth.

⁶Do not forsake her—then she will guard you;

love her and she will keep you.

⁷The beginning of wisdom: Get wisdom!

With all that is in your possession, gain insight.

⁸Cherish her and she will exalt you;

she will honor you if you embrace her.

⁹She will give a garland for your head;

she shall bestow a crown of glory upon you.”

The Right Path

¹⁰Listen, my child, take my sayings,

and the years of your life shall be great.

¹¹In the way of wisdom I have instructed you;

I have led you in the path of uprightness.

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

and if you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Seize the instruction! Do not let go!

Guard her, for she is your life.

¹⁴In the path of the wicked do not go;

do not walk in the way of those who do evil.

¹⁵Avoid it; do not transgress it;

turn away from it and pass by.

¹⁶For they will not sleep if they have not done wrong,

and they are robbed of their sleep if they do not cause stumbling.

¹⁷For they ate the bread of wickedness,

and they drank the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the righteous ones is like the light of dawn,

leading and shining until the day is full.^b

¹⁹The way of the wicked ones is like deep darkness;

they do not know what they stumble over.

Staying the Course

²⁰My child, be attentive to my words;

to my sayings incline your ear.

²¹May they not escape from your sight;^c

keep them in the midst of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them

and healing to the entire body.^d

²³With all vigilance, keep your heart,

for from it comes the source^e of life.

²⁴Remove from yourself deceitful speech,^f

and abolish devious talk^g from yourself.

²⁵May your eyes look forward^h

and your gaze be straight before you.

²⁶May the path of your foot be balanced

and all your ways be sure.

²⁷Do not swerve right or left;

remove your foot from evil.