---
title: Proverbs 4
slug: kjv/proverbs-4
createdAt: 2024-08-21T02:01:17.980Z
---

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

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

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

**4 **He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**20 **My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

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

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

**23 **Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it *are* the issues of life.

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

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

**26 **Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

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