Hear, you children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.
For I give you good doctrine, forsake you not my law.
For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.
He taught me also, and said to me, Let your heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.
Forsake her not, and she shall preserve you: love her, and she shall keep you.
Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all your getting get understanding.
Exalt her, and she shall promote you: she shall bring you to honor, when you do embrace her.
She shall give to your head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to you.
Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of your life shall be many.
I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths.
When you go, your steps shall not be straitened; and when you run, you shall not stumble.
Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is your life.
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.
For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.
For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shines more and more to the perfect day.
The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.
My son, attend to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
Let them not depart from your eyes; keep them in the middle of your heart.
For they are life to those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
Put away from you a fraudulent mouth, and perverse lips put far from you.
Let your eyes look right on, and let your eyelids look straight before you.
Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established.
Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove your foot from evil.
Canonical academic citations for Proverbs 4 (AKJV) — copy in your preferred format.
Proverbs 4 (AKJV). Prime Bible, accessed October 17, 2026. https://primebible.com/akjv/proverbs/4.
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Generational charge to get wisdom at all costs; it guards and crowns. Two roads: righteous path like dawn, wicked stumble in darkness. Guard heart, speech, gaze, and steps.
Practical wisdom for godly living across generations.
Proverbs 4 is presented with the full Hebrew interlinear, Strong's numbers, and verse-by-verse cross-references on Prime Bible — a free, nonprofit Bible study platform.