Proverbs · Literal Standard Version
Proverbs 4 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 Hear, you sons, the instruction of a father, || And give attention to know understanding.
1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2 For I have given to you good learning, do not forsake my law.
2 for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
3 For I have been a son to my father—tender, || And an only one before my mother.
3 For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
4 And he directs me, and he says to me: “Let your heart retain my words, || Keep my commands, and live.
4 He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding, || Do not forget, nor turn away || From the sayings of my mouth.
5 Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she preserves you, || Love her, and she keeps you.
6 Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
7 The first thing [is] wisdom—get wisdom, || And with all your getting get understanding.
7 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
8 Exalt her and she lifts you up, || She honors you when you embrace her.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
9 She gives a wreath of grace to your head, || She gives you a crown of beauty freely.”
9 She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, || And years of life [are] multiplied to you.
10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
11 I have directed you in a way of wisdom, || I have caused you to tread in paths of uprightness.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
12 In your walking your step is not restricted, || And if you run, you do not stumble.
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
13 Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, || Keep her, for she [is] your life.
13 Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
14 Do not enter into the path of the wicked, || And do not be blessed in a way of evildoers.
14 Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not pass over into it, || Turn aside from it, and pass on.
15 Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
16 For they do not sleep if they do no evil, || And their sleep has been taken away violently, || If they do not cause [some] to stumble.
16 For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
17 For they have eaten bread of wickedness, || And they drink wine of violence.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, || Going and brightening until the day is established,
18 But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
19 The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, || They have not known at what they stumble.
19 The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
20 My son, give attention to my words, || Incline your ear to my sayings,
20 My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them turn aside from your eyes, || Preserve them in the midst of your heart.
21 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
22 For they [are] life to those finding them, || And healing to all their flesh.
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
23 Above every charge keep your heart, || For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
24 Turn aside a contrary mouth from you, || And put perverse lips far from you,
24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
25 Your eyes look straightforward, || And your eyelids look straight before you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Ponder the path of your feet, || And all your ways [are] established.
26 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27 Do not incline [to] the right or to the left, || Turn aside your foot from evil!
27 Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
Cross references (27)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Hebrews 2:1; Psalm 34:11; Proverbs 1:8; Proverbs 2:1–5; 1 Thessalonians 2:11–12
- 2 1 Timothy 4:6; Titus 1:9; Psalm 89:30–32; Proverbs 8:6–9; Deuteronomy 32:2
- 3 1 Chronicles 22:5; Romans 12:16; 1 Chronicles 29:1; Zechariah 12:10; 1 Chronicles 3:5
- 4 Proverbs 3:1; Ephesians 6:4; John 12:50; Proverbs 7:2; 1 Chronicles 28:9
- 5 James 1:5; Proverbs 3:13–18; Proverbs 1:22–23; 2 Chronicles 34:2; Psalm 44:18
- 6 2 Thessalonians 2:10; Proverbs 4:21–22; Ephesians 3:17; Proverbs 2:10–12
- 7 Ecclesiastes 7:12; Ecclesiastes 9:16–18; Proverbs 23:23; Proverbs 16:16; Philippians 3:8
- 8 Daniel 12:3; 1 Samuel 2:30; Proverbs 3:35; 1 Kings 3:5–13; Proverbs 22:4
- 9 Proverbs 1:9; 1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 2:7–9; Proverbs 16:31; Isaiah 28:5
- 10 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Proverbs 3:2; Deuteronomy 6:2; Jeremiah 9:20; Proverbs 3:16
- 11 Psalm 25:4–5; Ecclesiastes 12:9; Proverbs 8:9; Proverbs 8:6; 1 Samuel 12:23–24
- 12 Proverbs 3:23; Psalm 18:36; 2 Samuel 22:37; 1 Peter 2:8; John 11:9–10
- 13 Proverbs 3:18; Hebrews 2:1; Proverbs 23:23; Deuteronomy 32:47; Acts 2:42
- 14 Psalm 1:1; 1 Corinthians 15:33; Proverbs 1:15; Proverbs 1:10; Proverbs 13:20
- 15 Ephesians 5:11; Job 22:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; Exodus 23:7; Job 11:14
- 16 Psalm 36:4; Micah 2:1; Isaiah 57:20; 2 Peter 2:14; Proverbs 1:16
- 17 Micah 6:12; Proverbs 9:17; Proverbs 20:17; Psalm 14:4; James 5:4–5
- 18 John 8:12; Job 11:17; Daniel 12:3; Philippians 2:15; 2 Corinthians 3:18
- 19 John 12:35; Isaiah 59:9–10; Jeremiah 23:12; Job 18:5–6; 1 Samuel 2:9
- 20 Proverbs 5:1; Isaiah 55:3; Proverbs 6:20–21; Proverbs 7:1; Psalm 78:1
- 21 Proverbs 3:21; Proverbs 3:3; Proverbs 7:1–2; Psalm 40:8; Proverbs 2:1
- 22 Jeremiah 33:6; Proverbs 12:18; Proverbs 4:10; Proverbs 3:8; Proverbs 4:4
- 23 Luke 6:45; Matthew 12:34–35; Mark 7:21–23; Psalm 139:23–24; Proverbs 13:3
- 24 Proverbs 8:8; James 1:26; Proverbs 8:13; Ephesians 4:25–31; 1 Peter 2:1
- 25 Psalm 119:37; Matthew 6:22; Job 31:1; Proverbs 23:33; Proverbs 23:5
- 26 Hebrews 12:13; Psalm 37:23; Psalm 119:5; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; Haggai 1:5
- 27 Deuteronomy 5:32; Joshua 1:7; Deuteronomy 28:14; Proverbs 16:17; Deuteronomy 12:32
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
It is not an enemy, O man, that assails thee from without, but an evil shoot growing up out of thyself. Look right on with thine eyes, and there is no lust.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)