Proverbs 4
New King James Version
Security in Wisdom
4 Hear, (A)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
(B)Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 (C)He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
(D)Keep my commands, and live.
5 (E)Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
(F)Love her, and she will keep you.
7 (G)Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 (H)Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (I)an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
(J)And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have (K)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, (L)your steps will not be hindered,
(M)And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14 (N)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (O)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [a]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 (P)But the path of the just (Q)is like the shining [b]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (R)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of (S)life.
24 Put away from you a [c]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your (T)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit. robbed
- Proverbs 4:18 Lit. light
- Proverbs 4:24 devious
Proverbs 4
Lexham English Bible
The Father’s Wisdom
4 Children, listen to the instruction of a father,
and be attentive in order to know insight.
2 For I have given you good instruction;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son to my father,
tender and alone before my mother,
4 he taught me and said to me,
“May your heart hold fast to my words;
guard my commandments and live.
5 Get wisdom and insight;
do not forget and do not turn from the sayings of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her—then she will guard you;
love her and she will keep you.
7 The beginning of wisdom: Get wisdom!
With all that is in your possession, gain insight.
8 Cherish her and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will give a garland for your head;
she shall bestow a crown of glory upon you.”
The Right Path
10 Listen, my child, take my sayings,
and the years of your life shall be great.
11 In the way of wisdom I have instructed you;
I have led you in the path of uprightness.
12 When you walk,[a] your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Seize the instruction! Do not let go!
Guard her, for she is your life.
14 In the path of the wicked do not go;
do not walk in the way of those who do evil.
15 Avoid it; do not transgress it;
turn away from it and pass by.
16 For they will not sleep if they have not done wrong,
and they are robbed of their sleep if they do not cause stumbling.
17 For they ate the bread of wickedness,
and they drank the wine of violence.
18 But the path of the righteous ones is like the light of dawn,
leading and shining until the day is full.[b]
19 The way of the wicked ones is like deep darkness;
they do not know what they stumble over.
Staying the Course
20 My child, be attentive to my words;
to my sayings incline your ear.
21 May they not escape from your sight;[c]
keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them
and healing to the entire body.[d]
23 With all vigilance, keep your heart,
for from it comes the source[e] of life.
24 Remove from yourself deceitful speech,[f]
and abolish devious talk[g] from yourself.
25 May your eyes look forward[h]
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 May the path of your foot be balanced
and all your ways be sure.
27 Do not swerve right or left;
remove your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:12 Literally “In your walking”
- Proverbs 4:18 Literally “is correct”
- Proverbs 4:21 Literally “eyes”
- Proverbs 4:22 Literally “for all his flesh”
- Proverbs 4:23 Or “extremity”
- Proverbs 4:24 Literally “crookedness of mouth”
- Proverbs 4:24 Literally “deviousness of lips”
- Proverbs 4:25 Or “opposite”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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