| 4:1 | Sons, listen to your father's discipline, and pay attention in order to gain understanding. |
| 4:2 | After all, I have taught you well. Do not abandon my teachings. |
| 4:3 | When I was a boy learning from my father, when I was a tender and only child of my mother, |
| 4:4 | they used to teach me and say to me, "Cling to my words wholeheartedly. Obey my commands so that you may live. |
| 4:5 | Acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding. Do not forget. Do not turn away from the words that I have spoken. |
| 4:6 | Do not abandon wisdom, and it will watch over you. Love wisdom, and it will protect you. |
| 4:7 | The beginning of wisdom is to acquire wisdom. Acquire understanding with all that you have. |
| 4:8 | Cherish wisdom. It will raise you up. It will bring you honor when you embrace it. |
| 4:9 | It will give you a graceful garland for your head. It will hand you a beautiful crown." |
| 4:10 | My son, listen and accept my words, and they will multiply the years of your life. |
| 4:11 | I have taught you the way of wisdom. I have guided you along decent paths. |
| 4:12 | When you walk, your stride will not be hampered. Even if you run, you will not stumble. |
| 4:13 | Cling to discipline. Do not relax your grip on it. Keep it because it is your life. |
| 4:14 | Do not stray onto the path of wicked people. Do not walk in the way of evil people. |
| 4:15 | Avoid it. Do not walk near it. Turn away from it, and keep on walking. |
| 4:16 | Wicked people cannot sleep unless they do wrong, and they are robbed of their sleep unless they make someone stumble. |
| 4:17 | They eat food obtained through wrongdoing and drink wine obtained through violence. |
| 4:18 | But the path of righteous people is like the light of dawn that becomes brighter and brighter until it reaches midday. |
| 4:19 | The way of wicked people is like deep darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble. |
| 4:20 | My son, pay attention to my words. Open your ears to what I say. |
| 4:21 | Do not lose sight of these things. Keep them deep within your heart |
| 4:22 | because they are life to those who find them and they heal the whole body. |
| 4:23 | Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it. |
| 4:24 | Remove dishonesty from your mouth. Put deceptive speech far away from your lips. |
| 4:25 | Let your eyes look straight ahead and your sight be focused in front of you. |
| 4:26 | Carefully walk a straight path, and all your ways will be secure. |
| 4:27 | Do not lean to the right or to the left. Walk away from evil. |
Proverbs 4 - God's Word Translation
