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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Proverbs 4</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/proverbs/4.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc//proverbs/4-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/proverbs/">Proverbs</a> > Proverbs 4</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../proverbs/3.htm" title="Proverbs 3">◄</a> Proverbs 4 <a href="../proverbs/5.htm" title="Proverbs 5">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/proverbs/4.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/proverbs/4.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/proverbs/4.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/proverbs/4.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/proverbs/4.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/proverbs/4.htm">NAS</a></div><br /><div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/proverbs/4.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a><p class="hdg">A Father’s Instruction<p class="indent1stline"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-1.htm"><b>1</b></a></span>Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; <p class="indent2"> pay attention and gain understanding. <A name="3"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-2.htm"><b>2</b></a></span>For I give you sound teaching; <p class="indent2"> do not abandon my directive. <A name="4"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-3.htm"><b>3</b></a></span>When I was a son to my father, <p class="indent2"> tender and the only child of my mother, <A name="5"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-4.htm"><b>4</b></a></span>he taught me and said, <p class="indent2">“Let your heart lay hold of my words; <p class="indent2"> keep my commands and you will live. <A name="6"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-5.htm"><b>5</b></a></span>Get wisdom, get understanding; <p class="indent2"> do not forget my words or turn from them. <A name="7"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-6.htm"><b>6</b></a></span>Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; <p class="indent2"> love her, and she will guard you. <A name="8"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-7.htm"><b>7</b></a></span>Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. <p class="indent2"> And whatever you may acquire,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">a</a></span> gain understanding. <A name="9"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-8.htm"><b>8</b></a></span>Prize her, and she will exalt you; <p class="indent2"> if you embrace her, she will honor you. <A name="10"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-9.htm"><b>9</b></a></span>She will set a garland of grace on your head; <p class="indent2"> she will present you with a crown of beauty.” <A name="11"></a><p class="indent1stline"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-10.htm"><b>10</b></a></span>Listen, my son, and receive my words, <p class="indent2"> and the years of your life will be many. <A name="12"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-11.htm"><b>11</b></a></span>I will guide you in the way of wisdom; <p class="indent2"> I will lead you on straight paths. <A name="13"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-12.htm"><b>12</b></a></span>When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; <p class="indent2"> when you run, you will not stumble. <A name="14"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-13.htm"><b>13</b></a></span>Hold on to instruction; do not let go. <p class="indent2"> Guard it, for it is your life. <A name="15"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-14.htm"><b>14</b></a></span>Do not set foot on the path of the wicked <p class="indent2"> or walk in the way of evildoers. <A name="16"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-15.htm"><b>15</b></a></span>Avoid it; do not travel on it. <p class="indent2"> Turn from it and pass on by. <A name="17"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-16.htm"><b>16</b></a></span>For they cannot sleep <p class="indent2"> unless they do evil; <p class="indent1"> they are deprived of slumber <p class="indent2"> until they make someone fall. <A name="18"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-17.htm"><b>17</b></a></span>For they eat the bread of wickedness <p class="indent2"> and drink the wine of violence. <A name="19"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-18.htm"><b>18</b></a></span>The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, <p class="indent2"> shining brighter and brighter until midday. <A name="20"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-19.htm"><b>19</b></a></span>But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; <p class="indent2"> they do not know what makes them stumble. <A name="21"></a><p class="indent1stline"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-20.htm"><b>20</b></a></span>My son, pay attention to my words; <p class="indent2"> incline your ear to my sayings. <A name="22"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-21.htm"><b>21</b></a></span>Do not lose sight of them; <p class="indent2"> keep them within your heart. <A name="23"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-22.htm"><b>22</b></a></span>For they are life to those who find them, <p class="indent2"> and health to the whole body. <A name="24"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-23.htm"><b>23</b></a></span>Guard your heart with all diligence, <p class="indent2"> for from it flow springs of life. <A name="25"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-24.htm"><b>24</b></a></span>Put away deception from your mouth; <p class="indent2"> keep your lips from perverse speech. <A name="26"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-25.htm"><b>25</b></a></span>Let your eyes look forward; <p class="indent2"> fix your gaze straight ahead. <A name="27"></a><p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-26.htm"><b>26</b></a></span>Make a level path for your feet,<span class="fn"><a href="#fn">b</a></span> <p class="indent2"> and all your ways will be sure. <p class="indent1"><span class="reftext"><a href="/proverbs/4-27.htm"><b>27</b></a></span>Do not swerve to the right or to the left; <p class="indent2"> turn your feet away from evil.</p><A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:</b><br><br><span class="fnverse">7</span> <span class="footnotesbot">a</span> Or <i>And whatever else you acquire</i><span class="thin"> </span><br><span class="fnverse">26</span> <span class="footnotesbot">b</span> Or <i>Ponder the path for your feet</i><span class="thin"> </span>; LXX <i>Make straight paths for your feet</i><span class="thin"> </span>; cited in <a href="../hebrews/12.htm#13">Hebrews 12:13</a><br><br /></div><br /></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. 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