Proverbs 4 Diligently Pursue Wisdom Listen, children, to your father’s instruction, and pay attention in order to gain understanding.

ISV⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ Diligently Pursue Wisdom Listen, children, to your father’s instruction, and pay attention in order to gain understanding. ² I give you sound teaching, so do not abandon my instruction. ³ When I was a son to my father, not yet strong and an only son to my mother, ⁴ he taught me and told me, “Let your heart fully embrace what I have to say; keep my commandments and live! ⁵ Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth! ⁶ Do not abandon her, and she will protect you. Love her, and she will watch over you. ⁷ Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom, and with all your effort work to acquire understanding. ⁸ Prize her and she will exalt you. Indeed, if you embrace her, she will honor you. ⁹ She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will present to you a crown of beauty.” ¹⁰ Listen, my son: accept my words, and you’ll live a long, long time. ¹¹ I have directed you in the way of wisdom, and I have led you along straight paths. ¹² When you walk, your step will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. ¹³ Hold on to instruction, do not let it go! Guard wisdom, because she is your life!
¹⁴ Avoiding the Ways of the WickedDo not enter the path of the wicked, or go along the way of evil men. ¹⁵ Avoid it! Don’t travel on it! Turn away from it, and pass on by. ¹⁶ For they cannot sleep unless they are doing evil, and they are robbed of their sleep unless they cause someone to stumble. ¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness, and they drink the wine of violence. ¹⁸ The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that grows brighter until the full light of day. ¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, and they do not know what they are stumbling over.
²⁰ Remembering the Counsel of a Wise FatherMy son, pay attention to my words, and listen closely to what I say. ²¹ Do not let them out of your sight; keep them within your heart. ²² For they are life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. ²³ Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life. ²⁴ Never talk deceptively and don’t keep company with people whose speech is corrupt. ²⁵ Let your eyes look directly ahead; fix your gaze straight in front of you. ²⁶ Carefully measure the paths for your feet, and all your ways will be established. ²⁷ Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.