Proverbs 4 - Modern English Version

Parental Wisdom

¹ Listen, my sons, to the instruction of a father, and be attentive, that you may gain understanding,

² for I give you good teaching; do not forsake my teaching.

³ When I was a son to my father, tender and the only beloved in the sight of my mother,

⁴ he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart retain my words; keep my commandments, and live.

⁵ Get wisdom; get understanding; do not forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.

⁶ Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you.

⁷ The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom, and with all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸ Exalt her, and she will promote you; she will bring you honor when you embrace her.

⁹ She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory will she bestow on you.”

¹⁰ Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of your life will be many.

¹¹ I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.

¹² When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble.

¹³ Take hold of instruction; do not let her go; guard her, for she is your life.

¹⁴ Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵ Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on.

¹⁶ For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; their sleep is taken away unless they make someone stumble.

¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸ But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until the full daytime.

¹⁹ The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

²⁰ My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

²¹ Let them not depart from your sight; keep them within your heart.

²² For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.

²³ Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it flow the springs of life.

²⁴ Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.

²⁵ Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your gaze be directly before you.

²⁶ Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.

²⁷ Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.