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Proverbs 4:1-13
New King James Version
Proverbs 4:1-13
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.
Proverbs 4:1-13
New International Version
Proverbs 4:1-13
New International Version
Get Wisdom at Any Cost
4 Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
pay attention and gain understanding.(C)
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(D) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(E)
5 Get wisdom,(F) get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(G)
love her, and she will watch over you.(H)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
Though it cost all(I) you have,[b] get understanding.(J)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.(K)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.(L)”
10 Listen, my son,(M) accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.(N)
11 I instruct(O) you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.(P)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.(Q)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.(R)
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
- Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
Proverbele 4:1-13
Cornilescu 1924 - Revised 2010, 2014
Proverbele 4:1-13
Cornilescu 1924 - Revised 2010, 2014
4 Ascultaţi, fiilor(A), învăţătura unui tată
şi luaţi aminte ca să pricepeţi,
2 căci eu vă dau sfaturi bune:
nu lepădaţi învăţătura mea.
3 Căci, când eram încă fiu la tatăl meu
şi fiu gingaş(B) şi singur la mama mea,
4 el(C) mă învăţa atunci şi-mi zicea:
Păstrează bine în inima ta cuvintele mele,
păzeşte învăţăturile mele, şi vei trăi!
5 Dobândeşte(D) înţelepciune, dobândeşte pricepere;
nu uita cuvintele gurii mele şi nu te abate de la ele.
6 N-o părăsi, şi ea te va păzi;
iubeşte-o(E), şi te va ocroti!
7 Iată(F) începutul înţelepciunii:
dobândeşte înţelepciunea
şi, cu tot ce ai, dobândeşte priceperea.
8 Înalţă-o(G), şi ea te va înălţa;
ea va fi slava ta dacă o vei îmbrăţişa.
9 Ea îţi va pune pe cap o cunună plăcută(H),
te va împodobi cu o strălucită cunună împărătească.
10 Ascultă, fiule, primeşte cuvintele mele,
şi anii(I) vieţii tale se vor înmulţi.
11 Eu îţi arăt calea înţelepciunii,
te povăţuiesc pe cărările neprihănirii.
12 Când vei umbla, pasul nu-ţi(J) va fi stânjenit
şi, când vei alerga(K), nu te vei poticni.
13 Ţine învăţătura, n-o lăsa din mână;
păstrează-o, căci ea este viaţa ta.
Proverbs 4:1-13
King James Version
Proverbs 4:1-13
King James Version
4 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.
3 For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.
7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.
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Proverbs 4:1-13
English Standard Version
Proverbs 4:1-13
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Cornilescu 1924 - Revised 2010, 2014 (RMNN) 
Copyright of the Cornilescu Bible © 1924 belongs to British and Foreign Bible Society. Copyright © 2010, 2014 of the revised edition in Romanian language belongs to the Interconfessional Bible Society of Romania, with the approval of the British and Foreign Bible Society.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.