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,
²for I give you good ^(C)precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
³When I was a son with my father,
    ^(D)tender, ^(E)the only one in the sight of my mother,
⁴he ^(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.
⁶Do 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.
⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
    she will ^(N)honor you ^(O)if you embrace her.
⁹She 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.
¹¹I have ^(T)taught you the way of wisdom;
    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
¹²When 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.
¹⁵Avoid it; do not go on it;
    turn away from it and pass on.
¹⁶For they ^(Z)cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness
    ^(AA)and drink the wine of violence.
¹⁸But ^(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.
²²For they are ^(AL)life to those who find them,
    and healing to all their^[b] flesh.
²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,
    for ^(AM)from it flow ^(AN)the springs of life.
²⁴Put 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.