Proverbs 4:4-25

⁴He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.

⁵Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.

⁶Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.

⁷Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.

⁸Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.

⁹She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

¹⁰Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.

¹¹I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.

¹²When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.

¹³Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.

¹⁴Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

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

¹⁸But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.

²⁰My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.

²²For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.

²³Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.

²⁴Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.

²⁵Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.