Proverbs 4 · Clearspring

A Father’s Instruction

¹Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.+ ²For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive.+ ³When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother,+ ⁴he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live.+ ⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them.+ ⁶Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.+ ⁷Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding.+ ⁸Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you.+ ⁹She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.”+ ¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.+ ¹¹I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths.+ ¹²When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble.+ ¹³Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life.+ ¹⁴Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.+ ¹⁵Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.+ ¹⁶For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.+ ¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.+ ¹⁸The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.+ ¹⁹But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble.+ ²⁰My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.+ ²¹Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart.+ ²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body.+ ²³Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.+ ²⁴Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech.+ ²⁵Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead.+ ²⁶Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure.+ ²⁷Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.+

A Father’s Instruction

Study Proverbs 4