Pro 3-4 | ESV | STEP | My son , do not forget my teaching , but let your heart keep my commandments ,

1 ^aMy son, do not forget my teaching,
^bbut let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for ^clength of days and years of life
and ^dpeace they will add to you.
3 Let not ^esteadfast love and ^ffaithfulness forsake you;
^gbind them around your neck;
^hwrite them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will ⁱfind favor and ^jgood success ^{▼▼Or repute}
in the sight of God and man.
5 ^lTrust in the Lord with all your heart,
and ^mdo not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways ⁿacknowledge him,
and he ^owill make straight your paths.
7 ^pBe not wise in your own eyes;
^qfear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be ^rhealing to your flesh ^{▼▼Hebrew navel}
and ^trefreshment ^{▼▼Or medicine} to your bones.
9 Honor the Lord with your wealth
and with ^vthe firstfruits of all your produce;
10 then your ^wbarns will be filled with plenty,
and your vats will be bursting with wine.
11 ^xMy son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline
or be weary of his reproof,
12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
as ^ya father the son in whom he delights.

Blessed Is the One Who Finds Wisdom

13 ^zBlessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
14 ^aafor the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than ^abgold.
15 She is more precious than ^acjewels,
and ^adnothing you desire can compare with her.
16 ^aeLong life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are ^afriches and honor.
17 Her ^agways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
18 She is ^aha tree of life to those who ^ailay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.
19 ^ajThe Lord by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding ^akhe established the heavens;
20 by his knowledge ^althe deeps broke open,
and ^amthe clouds drop down the dew.
21 My son, ^ando not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 and they will be ^aolife for your soul
and ^apadornment for your neck.
23 ^aqThen you will walk on your way securely,
^arand your foot will not stumble.
24 ^asIf you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, ^atyour sleep will be sweet.
25 ^auDo not be afraid of sudden terror
or of ^avthe ruin ^{▼▼Hebrew storm} of the wicked, when it comes,
26 for the Lord will be your confidence
and will ^axkeep your foot from being caught.
27 ^ayDo not withhold good from those to whom it is due, ^{▼▼Hebrew Do not withhold good from its owners}
when it is in your power to do it.
28 ^baDo not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again,
tomorrow I will give it”—when you have it with you.
29 ^bbDo not plan evil against your neighbor,
who ^bcdwells trustingly beside you.
30 ^bdDo not contend with a man for no reason,
when he has done you no harm.
31 ^beDo not envy ^bfa man of violence
and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for ^bgthe devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
but the upright are ^bhin his confidence.
33 ^biThe Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he ^bjblesses the dwelling of the righteous.
34 Toward the ^bkscorners he ^blis scornful,
^bmbut to the humble he gives favor. ^{▼▼Or grace}
35 The wise will inherit honor,
but fools get ^{▼▼The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain} disgrace.

Proverbs 4

A Father’s Wise Instruction

1 ^bpHear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may ^bqgain ^{▼▼Hebrew know} insight,
2 for I give you good ^bsprecepts;
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
^bttender, ^buthe only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he ^bvtaught me and said to me,
^bw“Let your heart hold fast my words;
^bxkeep my commandments, and live.
5 ^byGet wisdom; get ^bzinsight;
do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
^calove her, and she will guard you.
7 ^cbThe beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get ^ccinsight.
8 Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will ^cdhonor you ^ceif you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head ^cfa graceful garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
10 ^cgHear, ^chmy son, and accept my words,
that ^cithe years of your life may be many.
11 I have ^cjtaught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, ^ckyour step will not be hampered,
and ^clif you run, you will not stumble.
13 ^cmKeep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your ^cnlife.
14 ^coDo not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
15 Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they ^cpcannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
^cqand drink the wine of violence.
18 But ^crthe path of the righteous is like ^csthe light of dawn,
which shines ^ctbrighter and brighter until ^cufull day.
19 ^cvThe way of the wicked is like deep ^cwdarkness;
they do not know over what they ^cxstumble.
20 ^cyMy son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 ^czLet them not escape from your sight;
^dakeep them within your heart.
22 For they are ^dblife to those who find them,
and healing to all their ^{▼▼Hebrew his} flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for ^ddfrom it flow ^dethe springs of life.
24 Put away from you ^dfcrooked speech,
and put ^dgdevious talk far from you.
25 ^dhLet your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
26 ^diPonder ^{▼▼Or Make level} the path of your feet;
^dkthen all your ways will be sure.
27 ^dlDo not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.