Proverbs

Proverbs 4

1Solomon to persuade obedience sheweth what instruction he had received from his parents, 5to study wisdom, 14and to shun the path of the wicked: 20he exhorteth to regard his admonitions, 23and to keep a guard upon the heart, and to be circumspect in all our ways.


1HEAR, aye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

a ch. 1.8; 2.1-4; 3.1,21; 5.1,2; 6.20-23; 7.1,4. Ep. 6.1,4.

2For I give you bgood doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

b De. 32.2. 1Ti. 4.6. Tit. 1.9. ch. 22.20,21.

3For cI was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

c 1Ch. 22.5; 29.1. 2Sa. 12.24,25; 7.14. 1Ki. 1.13.

4He dtaught me also, and said unto me, eLet thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

d 1Ch. 28.9-21. Ge. 18.19. Ep. 6.4. 2Ti. 3.15. ch. 22.6. e ch. 3.1; 2.7; 7.2. Le. 18.4,5. Is. 55.3.

5fGet wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither *decline from the words of my mouth.

*decline-turn aside.

f ch. 2.2-4,11. 2Ti. 1.13. Is. 8.20. 2Th. 2.15. 2Pe. 3.18. Jn. 5.39.

6Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: glove her, and she shall keep thee.

g Ps. 119.97-100. 2Th. 2.10.

7Wisdom is the hprincipal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

h Mat. 13.44. Lu. 10.42. Phi. 3.7-10. Col. 1.18; 2.3,9; 3.11. Re. 3.18.

8iExalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

i 1Sa. 2.30. Da. 1.19. ch. 3.16; 8.18; 22.4; 29.23. 1Ti. 4.8.

9She shall give to thine head jan ornament of grace: 1a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

1Or, she shall compass thee with a crown of glory.

j ch. 1.9; 3.22. 1Pe. 3.4. 1Ti. 2.9,10. 2Ti. 4.8. Re. 2.10.

10Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and kthe years of thy life shall be many.

k ch. 3.2; 7.2. v.4,13. De. 6.2; 32.47. Ps. 21.4; 91.16.

11I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

12lWhen thou goest, thy steps shall not be *straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

*straitened-limited, restricted.

l 2Sa. 22.37. ch. 3.23. Job 18.7. Ps. 18.19,36; 91.11,12; 121.3,7,8; 119.32,165.

13Take mfast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

m ch. 3.18; 23.23. 1Th. 5.21. Re. 3.11,12; 2.13. 2Pe. 3.17. Jude 3.

14nEnter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

n Ps. 1.1. ch. 1.10,15; 9.6; 13.20.

15oAvoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

o ch. 5.8. Ps. 1.1. 1Th. 5.22. Ep. 5.11.

16For pthey sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

p Ps. 36.4. ch. 1.16; 11.23. Is. 57.20. Ro. 3.15,16. 2Pe. 2.14. Mi. 2.1.

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

q ch. 20.17. Ps. 53.4. Mi. 2.2; 3.3. Zep. 3.3.

18But rthe path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

r Ps. 84.7. . Job 11.17; 17.9. Mat. 5.14,16. Phi. 2.15. 2Pe. 1.19; 3.18. Is. 62.1.

19The sway of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

s Je. 13.16; 23.12. Is. 59.9,10; 42.25. Job 5.14; 18.5,6; 12.25. Ps. 82.5. Ep. 4.18,19. Jn. 12.35. 1Sa. 2.9.

20¶My son, tattend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

t ch. 1.8; 2.3,4; 3.1,3,21; 5.1,2; 6.20,21; 7.1-3. Is. 55.3. Ps. 34.11.

21uLet them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

u ch. 3.21.

22For vthey are life unto those that find them, and 2health to all their flesh.

2Heb. medicine.

v v.4,10,13. ch. 3.8; 8.35; 21.21. De. 32.47. Jn. 6.63.

23wKeep thy heart 3with all diligence; for out of it are the xissues of life.

3Heb. above all keeping.

w Mar. 13.33,37; 14.38. ch. 23.19. x Mat. 12.35; 15.19. Ps. 68.20.

24yPut away from thee 4a *froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

4Heb. forwardness of mouth and perverseness of lips.

*froward-perverse, contrary, self-willed.

y Ep. 4.29. Col. 3.8. 1Co. 15.33. Ja. 1.26.

25Let zthine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

z Job 31.1. Ps. 119.37. Mat. 6.22.

26aPonder the path of thy feet, and 5let all thy ways be established.

5Or, all thy ways shall be ordered aright, Is. 7.9. 2Ch. 20.20.

a Hag. 1.5. Ep. 5.15. He. 12.13. Ps. 119.59.

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

b De. 5.32; 28.14; 12.32. Jos. 1.7. Ec. 7.16,17. Is. 30.21.