Proverbs 4 · Clearspring

A Father’s Instruction

¹Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;+ ²for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.+ ³For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.+ ⁴He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.+ ⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.+ ⁶Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.+ ⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.+ ⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor, when you embrace her.+ ⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”+ ¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.+ ¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.+ ¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.+ ¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.+ ¹⁴Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.+ ¹⁵Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.+ ¹⁶For they don’t sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.+ ¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.+ ¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light, that shines more and more until the perfect day.+ ¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.+ ²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.+ ²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.+ ²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.+ ²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.+ ²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.+ ²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.+ ²⁶Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.+ ²⁷Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.+

A Father’s Instruction

Study Proverbs 4