Proverbs4

Proverbs 4 presents a father's earnest instruction to his children, urging them to acquire wisdom and understanding above all else. It emphasizes that wisdom leads to life, honor, and preservation, while sharply contrasting this with the destructive path of the wicked. The father exhorts his son to diligently guard his heart and walk in uprightness, avoiding evil.

Listen to the Father's Instruction

1
Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding.
2
For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe.
3
For I was my fathers sonne, tender and deare in the sight of my mother,
4
When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue.
5
Get wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes of my mouth.
6
Forsake her not, and shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue thee.
7
Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding.
8
Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou embrace her.
9
She shall giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shall giue thee a crowne of glorie.

The Blessings of Following Wisdom

10
Heare, my sonne, and receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many.
11
I haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse.
12
Whe thou goest, thy gate shall not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall.
13
Take holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee is thy life.

Avoid the Path of the Wicked

14
Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men.
15
Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by.
16
For they can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause some to fall.
17
For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke the wine of violence.
18
But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite day.
19
The way of the wicked is as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall fall.

Guard Your Heart

20
My sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto my sayings.
21
Let them not depart from thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine heart.
22
For they are life vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their flesh.
23
Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life.
24
Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee.
25
Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyelids direct thy way before thee.
26
Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright.
27
Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill.
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