Proverbs 4

¹ Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight,

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

³When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,

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

⁵ Get wisdom; get insight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

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

⁷ The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.

⁸Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.

⁹She will place on your head a graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

¹⁰ Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.

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

¹²When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.

¹³ Keep hold of instruction; do not let 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 the evil.

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

¹⁶For they 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
and drink the wine of violence.

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

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

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

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

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

²³Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.

²⁴Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.

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

²⁶ Ponder the path of your feet;
then all your ways will be sure.

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

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