Proverbs 4
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 4
Acquire Wisdom[a]
1 Listen, my children, to a father’s instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 What I am offering to you is sound advice;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a young boy in my father’s house,
tender in years and my mother’s only child,
4 he taught me and said:
“Let your heart hold fast to my words;
follow my instructions and you will live.
5 “Acquire wisdom and gain understanding;
never forget or turn aside from my words.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you;
love her, and she will watch over you.
7 “The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom,
and no matter what the cost, acquire understanding.[b]
8 Extol wisdom, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you.
9 She will place on your head a lovely garland
and bestow on you a crown of beauty.”
10 Listen, my son, and take my words to heart,
and the years of your life will be multiplied.
11 I have instructed you in the ways of wisdom
and led you along the paths of righteousness.
12 When you walk, your steps will be unimpeded,
and when you run, you will not stumble.[c]
13 Hold fast to instruction and never let her go;
guard her carefully, for she is your life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk on the road that evildoers follow.
15 Avoid it; do not go by it;
turn aside from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they have first done wrong;[d]
they cannot sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 The bread of wickedness is their food,
and the wine of violence is their drink.[e]
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which increases in brightness to the fullness of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness,[f]
and they cannot even see what they have stumbled over.
20 My son, concentrate attentively on my words;
pay heed to the instructions I pass on to you.
21 Do not let them slip from your mind;
keep them forever in your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them
and provide health to their entire being.
23 Guard your heart with all possible vigilance,
for from it flow the wellsprings of life.[g]
24 Turn away from the mouth that deceives
and keep your distance from lips that mislead.[h]
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze on what lies before you.
26 Ensure that the path you tread is level,
and then your ways will be sure.
27 Do not swerve either to the right or to the left;
keep your foot far from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:1 We already know the essence that this warm (though overly loquacious) exhortation preaches. In the name of Deuteronomy, it insists on vigilance and fidelity. For in this world of traditions, wisdom is transmitted like an education, from parents to children, from masters to disciples. Nonetheless, all must experience the cost for themselves: vigilance and the guarding of one’s heart constitute, as it were, the necessary inner freedom that allows people to make progress along the way. Mastery of self merits reward even now. By contrast, in verses 16-19, a fine psychological analysis paints the picture of the wicked, the person haunted repeatedly by deadly personal projects.
- Proverbs 4:7 It is the beginning of wisdom to strive to acquire wisdom—and to do so no matter what the cost (see note on Prov 3:1-18).
- Proverbs 4:12 In the path of life, wisdom is the best companion and guide; she will remove the obstacles that we can encounter.
- Proverbs 4:16 They cannot rest until they have first done wrong: the same trait is alluded to in Ps 36:5; Mic 2:1. King David, on the other hand, refused to rest until he had first done right, i.e., found a house for the Lord (see Ps 132:3-5).
- Proverbs 4:17 Evildoers are totally committed to wickedness and violence (see Prov 13:2; Job 15:16).
- Proverbs 4:19 Deep darkness: a path that leads to destruction (see note on Prov 2:13; see also Isa 59:9-10; Jer 23:12; Jn 11:10; 12:35).
- Proverbs 4:23 Guard your heart . . . wellsprings of life: those who store up good things in their hearts ensure that their words and actions will be good. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks from the abundance of the heart” (Mt 12:34).
- Proverbs 4:24 See note on Prov 2:12.
Proverbs 4
English Standard Version
A Father's Wise Instruction
4 (A)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
and be attentive, that you may (B)gain[a] insight,
2 for I give you good (C)precepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
(D)tender, (E)the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he (F)taught me and said to me,
(G)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
(H)keep my commandments, and live.
5 (I)Get wisdom; get (J)insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
(K)love her, and she will guard you.
7 (L)The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get (M)insight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will (N)honor you (O)if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (P)a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
10 (Q)Hear, (R)my son, and accept my words,
that (S)the years of your life may be many.
11 I have (T)taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, (U)your step will not be hampered,
and (V)if you run, you will not stumble.
13 (W)Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your (X)life.
14 (Y)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (Z)cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
(AA)and drink the wine of violence.
18 But (AB)the path of the righteous is like (AC)the light of dawn,
which shines (AD)brighter and brighter until (AE)full day.
19 (AF)The way of the wicked is like deep (AG)darkness;
they do not know over what they (AH)stumble.
20 (AI)My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (AJ)Let them not escape from your sight;
(AK)keep them within your heart.
22 For they are (AL)life to those who find them,
and healing to all their[b] flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for (AM)from it flow (AN)the springs of life.
24 Put away from you (AO)crooked speech,
and put (AP)devious talk far from you.
25 (AQ)Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 (AR)Ponder[c] the path of your feet;
(AS)then all your ways will be sure.
27 (AT)Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
- Proverbs 4:22 Hebrew his
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
Sprueche 4
Hoffnung für Alle
Es lohnt sich, nach Weisheit zu suchen
4 Ihr jungen Männer, hört auf mich wie auf euren Vater! Achtet auf meine Lehre, damit ihr klug werdet! 2 Was ich euch zu sagen habe, ist gut – darum vergesst es nicht. 3 Als ich selbst noch jung war, wurde ich von meinem Vater unterwiesen und von meiner Mutter zärtlich umsorgt, als wäre ich ihr einziges Kind. 4 Damals schärfte mein Vater mir ein:
»Denk allezeit über das nach, was ich dir beigebracht habe. Wenn du dich danach richtest, wird dein Leben gelingen. 5 Erwirb Einsicht und übe dich im richtigen Urteilen. Vergiss meine Worte nicht! 6 Trenne dich nie von der Weisheit, sondern liebe sie, so wird sie dich beschützen und bewahren. 7 Nur eins im Leben ist wirklich wichtig: Werde weise! Werde verständig! Kein Preis darf dir zu hoch dafür sein. 8 Liebe die Weisheit, so wird sie dir Ansehen verschaffen; halte sie in Ehren, dann wird sie dich zu Ehren bringen. 9 Sie wird dich schmücken wie eine wertvolle Krone.«
10 Mein Sohn, hör auf meine Worte; dann wirst du ein langes Leben genießen. 11 Ich lehre dich, weise zu handeln, und zeige dir den richtigen Weg. 12 Wenn du dich daran hältst, wird kein Hindernis deine Schritte aufhalten; selbst beim Laufen wirst du nicht stolpern. 13 Richte dich nach dem, was du gelernt hast! Schlag die Unterweisung nicht in den Wind, denn daran hängt dein Leben!
14 Handle nicht so wie Menschen, denen Gott gleichgültig ist, nimm sie dir nicht zum Vorbild! 15 Folge nicht ihrem Beispiel, sondern meide das Böse – ja, flieh vor ihm und bleib auf dem geraden Weg! 16 Diese gottlosen Menschen können nicht einschlafen, bevor sie nicht Schaden angerichtet haben; sie finden keine Ruhe, bis sie jemandem Unrecht zugefügt haben. 17 Was sie essen und trinken, haben sie durch Betrug und Gewalttat an sich gerissen. 18-19 Ihr Leben ist finster wie die Nacht, im Dunkeln tappen sie umher; und wenn sie fallen, wissen sie nicht einmal, worüber sie gestolpert sind. Wer aber Gott gehorcht, dessen Leben gleicht einem Sonnenaufgang: Es wird heller und heller, bis es lichter Tag geworden ist.
20 Mein Sohn, hör gut zu und pass auf, was ich dir sage! 21 Verachte meine Worte nicht, sondern präg sie dir fest ein! 22 Sie sind der Schlüssel zum Leben und erhalten deinen ganzen Körper gesund. 23 Was ich dir jetzt rate, ist wichtiger als alles andere: Achte auf deine Gedanken,[a] denn sie entscheiden über dein Leben! 24 Verbreite keine Lügen, vermeide jede Art von falschem Gerede! 25 Halte dir immer vor Augen, was gut und richtig ist, und geh geradlinig darauf zu. 26 Wähle sorgsam deine Schritte und weiche nicht vom rechten Weg ab! 27 Schau weder nach rechts noch nach links und halte dich vom Bösen fern.
Footnotes
- 4,23 Wörtlich: Behüte dein Herz.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Hoffnung für Alle® (Hope for All) Copyright © 1983, 1996, 2002 by Biblica, Inc.®