Proverbs 4

1 Hear, ye children, the correction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

2 For good information do I give you: my teaching must ye not forsake.

3 For I was a son unto my father, a tender and an only child before my mother.

4 And he instructed me, and said unto me, Let thy heart grasp firmly my words: observe my commandments and live.

5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding: forget not, and depart not from the sayings of my mouth.

6 Forsake her not, and she will watch over thee: love her, and she will keep thee.

7 The beginning of wisdom is, Acquire wisdom: and with all thy acquisition acquire understanding.

8 Hold her in high esteem, and she will exalt thee: she will bring thee to honor, when thou embracest her.

9 She will give to thy head a wreath of grace: a crown of ornament will she deliver to thee.

10 Hear, O my son, and accept my sayings: and they will increase unto thee the years of life.

11 In the way of wisdom have I instructed thee: I have led thee in the tracks of uprightness.

12 When thou walkest, thy step shall not be narrowed; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13 Lay fast hold of correction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and step not on the way of the bad.

15 Avoid it, pass not through by it, turn off from it, and pass away.

16 For they sleep not, except they have done evil, and their sleep is robbed away, unless they cause some to stumble.

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

18 But the path of the righteous is as the early morning light, that shineth more and more brightly until the height of noonday.

19 The way of the wicked is like darkness: they know not against what they stumble.

20 My son, attend to my words, unto my sayings incline thy ear.

21 Let them not slip away from thy eyes: guard them in the midst of thy heart.

22 For they are life unto every one of those that find them, and to all his body a healing.

23 Above all that is to be guarded, keep thy heart, for out of it are the issues of life.

24 Remove from thee frowardness of mouth; and perverseness of lips put away far from thee.

25 Let thy eyes look right forward, and let thy eyelids see straight out before thee.

26 Balance well the track of thy foot, and let all thy ways be firmly right.

27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.