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 honor, when you embrace her. ⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor 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 center 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.

World English Bible (public domain)