The Bible — World English Bible
Proverbs 4
In brief
In Proverbs 4, a father passes on to his sons what his own father taught him: get wisdom before anything else. He contrasts the path of the righteous, a light that grows brighter, with the way of the wicked, which is like darkness. He urges them to keep the words they have received, then to watch over their heart, their mouth, their eyes and their steps, because the whole of life depends on how one walks.
The chapter in 5 parts
1Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
2for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
3For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
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.
26Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
27Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
Key verses
Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
The book presents wisdom as a starting point to be actively pursued, even at the price of everything you own. It is not obtained by chance, it is sought.
But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
Two images stand in contrast: the path of the righteous, like a light whose brightness keeps growing, and the way of the wicked, who walk on without seeing what will make them fall. The text speaks of progress, not an instant state.
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
The heart is presented as the wellspring of life: what comes out of it directs words, choices and plans. Watching over it is the priority, before anything else we might guard.
Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you. Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established. Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
The father ends with concrete advice: eyes straight ahead, a well-examined road, no turning to the right or to the left. Wisdom is lived out in ordinary steps.
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Frequently asked questions about Proverbs 4
What does Proverbs 4:23 mean by “Keep your heart”?
In biblical thought, the heart is the center of the person: thoughts, desires and decisions. The verse asks us to watch over it more than anything else, because life flows from it. It invites us to pay attention to what we let in, feed or love, rather than being content to control our visible behavior.
What is the main message of Proverbs 4?
The chapter calls us to seek wisdom as a precious possession, passed from father to son. It contrasts two paths, that of the righteous who walk in a growing light and that of the wicked in darkness, and it concludes with concrete advice: guard your heart, your mouth and your steps.
What does “the path of the righteous is like the dawning light” mean?
Verse 18 compares the life of the righteous to the dawn that grows until full day. Their path becomes clearer and clearer over time, which means progress rather than instant perfection. It stands in contrast to the way of the wicked, who do not even see what makes them stumble.
Articles quoting Proverbs 4
- 20 Bible Verses for the First Day of School: Courage, Wisdom and a God Who Goes with You
- 20 Bible Verses for the School Entrance Ceremony and New School Year in Japan
- Judges 6: Gideon, Mighty Man of Valor Despite His Labels
- Proverbs 4: Don't Forget the Words of God
- 1 John 4: Loved First, Free from Comparison
- Genesis 2: Man, Woman, Marriage and Other Misunderstandings
World English Bible translation — public domain.