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
New American Standard Bible 1995
A Father’s Instruction
4 Hear, O sons, the (A)instruction of a father,
And (B)give attention that you may [a]gain understanding,
2 For I give you [b]sound (C)teaching;
(D)Do not abandon my [c]instruction.
3 When I was a son to my father,
(E)Tender and (F)the only son in the sight of my mother,
4 Then he (G)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart (H)hold fast my words;
(I)Keep my commandments and live;
5 (J)Acquire wisdom! (K)Acquire understanding!
Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;
(L)Love her, and she will watch over you.
7 “(M)The [d]beginning of wisdom is: (N)Acquire wisdom;
And with all your acquiring, get understanding.
8 “(O)Prize her, and she will exalt you;
She will honor you if you embrace her.
9 “She will place (P)on your head a garland of grace;
She will present you with a crown of beauty.”
10 Hear, my son, and (Q)accept my sayings
And the (R)years of your life will be many.
11 I have (S)directed you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
12 When you walk, your (T)steps will not be impeded;
And if you run, you (U)will not stumble.
13 (V)Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your (W)life.
14 (X)Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (Y)cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And [e]they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 For they (Z)eat the bread of wickedness
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the (AA)path of the righteous is like the (AB)light of dawn,
That (AC)shines brighter and brighter until the (AD)full day.
19 The (AE)way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they [f](AF)stumble.
20 My son, (AG)give attention to my words;
(AH)Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 (AI)Do not let them depart from your sight;
(AJ)Keep them in the midst of your heart.
22 For they are (AK)life to those who find them
And (AL)health to all [g]their body.
23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For (AM)from it flow the springs of life.
24 Put away from you a (AN)deceitful mouth
And (AO)put devious [h]speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your [i]gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 (AP)Watch the path of your feet
And all your (AQ)ways will be established.
27 (AR)Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
(AS)Turn your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:1 Lit know
- Proverbs 4:2 Lit good
- Proverbs 4:2 Or law
- Proverbs 4:7 Or the primary thing is wisdom
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit their sleep is robbed
- Proverbs 4:19 Or may stumble
- Proverbs 4:22 Lit his
- Proverbs 4:24 Or lips
- Proverbs 4:25 Or eyelids
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
