Proverbs 4 - ESV Bible - Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be...

1 ¹Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may ²gain^a insight,

2 for I give you good ³precepts; do not forsake my teaching.

3 When I was a son with my father, ⁴tender, ⁵the only one in the sight of my mother,

4 he ⁶taught me and said to me, ⁷"Let your heart hold fast my words; ⁸keep my commandments, and live.

5 ⁹Get wisdom; get ¹⁰insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.

6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; ¹¹love her, and she will guard you.

7 ¹²The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get ¹³insight.

8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will ¹⁴honor you ¹⁵if you embrace her.

9 She will place on your head ¹⁶a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."

10 ¹⁷Hear, ¹⁸my son, and accept my words, that ¹⁹the years of your life may be many.

11 I have ²⁰taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.

12 When you walk, ²¹your step will not be hampered, and ²²if you run, you will not stumble.

13 ²³Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your ²⁴life.

14 ²⁵Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.

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

16 For they ²⁶cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.

17 For they eat the bread of wickedness ²⁷and drink the wine of violence.

18 But ²⁸the path of the righteous is like ²⁹the light of dawn, which shines ³⁰brighter and brighter until ³¹full day.

19 ³²The way of the wicked is like deep ³³darkness; they do not know over what they ³⁴stumble.

20 ³⁵My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.

21 ³⁶Let them not escape from your sight; ³⁷keep them within your heart.

22 For they are ³⁸life to those who find them, and healing to all their^b flesh.

23 Keep your heart with all vigilance, for ³⁹from it flow ⁴⁰the springs of life.

24 Put away from you ⁴¹crooked speech, and put ⁴²devious talk far from you.

25 ⁴³Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.

26 ⁴⁴Ponder^c the path of your feet; ⁴⁵then all your ways will be sure.

27 ⁴⁶Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

Proverbs 4 ESV