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Proverbs 4:4-10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Proverbs 4:4-10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 He taught me and said to me:
“Let your heart hold fast my words:(A)
keep my commands, and live!
5 Get wisdom,[a] get understanding!
Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
love her, and she will safeguard you;
7 The beginning of wisdom is: get wisdom;
whatever else you get, get understanding.
8 Extol her, and she will exalt you;
she will bring you honors if you embrace her;
9 She will put on your head a graceful diadem;
a glorious crown will she bestow on you.”
The Two Ways[b]
10 Hear, my son, and receive my words,
and the years of your life shall be many.(B)
Footnotes
- 4:5, 7 Get wisdom: the same Hebrew word “to get” can mean to acquire merchandise and to acquire a wife (18:22; 31:10); both meanings are in keeping with Proverbs’ metaphors of acquiring wisdom over gold and silver and of acquiring wisdom as a personified woman, a wife.
- 4:10–19 A central metaphor of the poem is “the way.” The way of wisdom leads directly to life (vv. 10–13); it is a light that grows brighter (v. 18). The wise are bound to shun (vv. 14–17) the dark and violent path of the wicked (v. 19). Singleness of purpose and right conduct proceed from the heart of the wise as from the source of life (vv. 23–26), saving them from destruction on evil paths (4:27; 5:21–23). As in 1:8–19 and 2:12–15, the obstacles to the quest are men and their way. Elsewhere in chaps. 1–9, the obstacle is the foreign woman (2:16–19; chap. 5; 6:20–35; chap. 7; 9:13–18).
Proverbs 4:4-10
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Proverbs 4:4-10
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
4 he taught me, and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live;
5 do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom; get insight.[a]
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
8 Prize her highly,[b] and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a fair garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
Admonition to Keep to the Right Path
10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:5 Reversing the order of the lines
- Proverbs 4:8 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Proverbs 4:4-10
Good News Translation
Proverbs 4:4-10
Good News Translation
4 my father would teach me. He would say, “Remember what I say and never forget it. Do as I tell you, and you will live. 5 Get wisdom and insight! Do not forget or ignore what I say. 6 Do not abandon wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will keep you safe. 7 Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight. 8 Love wisdom, and she will make you great. Embrace her,[a] and she will bring you honor. 9 She will be your crowning glory.”
10 Listen to me, my child. Take seriously what I am telling you, and you will live a long life.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Proverbs 4:8 Embrace her; or Prize her highly.
Proverbs 4:4-10
New American Standard Bible
Proverbs 4:4-10
New American Standard Bible
4 He (A)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart (B)take hold of my words;
(C)Keep my commandments and live;
5 (D)Acquire wisdom! (E)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not abandon her, and she will guard you;
(F)Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 (G)The [a]beginning of wisdom is: (H)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your possessions, acquire understanding.
8 (I)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place (J)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:7 Or primary thing is wisdom
Proverbs 4:4-10
New International Version
Proverbs 4:4-10
New International Version
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(A) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(B)
5 Get wisdom,(C) get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(D)
love her, and she will watch over you.(E)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
Though it cost all(F) you have,[b] get understanding.(G)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.(H)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.(I)”
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
- Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Good News Translation (GNT) 
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. 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.