Proverbs , Sarah Barry
GUARD YOUR HEART
Passage: Proverbs 4:1~27  
Key verse: 23
Get Wisdom at Any Cost4 Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
pay attention and gain understanding.(C)
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(D) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(E)
5 Get wisdom,(F) get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(G)
love her, and she will watch over you.(H)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
Though it cost all(I) you have,[b] get understanding.(J)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.(K)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.(L)”
10 Listen, my son,(M) accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.(N)
11 I instruct(O) you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.(P)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.(Q)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.(R)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.(S)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(T)
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.(U)
18 The path of the righteous(V) is like the morning sun,(W)
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(X)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(Y)
they do not know what makes them stumble.(Z)
20 My son,(AA) pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.(AB)
21 Do not let them out of your sight,(AC)
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.(AD)
23 Above all else, guard(AE) your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.(AF)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes(AG) look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet(AH)
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;(AI)
keep your foot from evil.
4 Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
pay attention and gain understanding.(C)
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(D) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(E)
5 Get wisdom,(F) get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(G)
love her, and she will watch over you.(H)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
Though it cost all(I) you have,[b] get understanding.(J)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.(K)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.(L)”
10 Listen, my son,(M) accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.(N)
11 I instruct(O) you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.(P)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.(Q)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.(R)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.(S)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(T)
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.(U)
18 The path of the righteous(V) is like the morning sun,(W)
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(X)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(Y)
they do not know what makes them stumble.(Z)
20 My son,(AA) pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.(AB)
21 Do not let them out of your sight,(AC)
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.(AD)
23 Above all else, guard(AE) your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.(AF)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes(AG) look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet(AH)
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;(AI)
keep your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
- Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
Cross references
- Proverbs 4:1 : S Pr 1:8
- Proverbs 4:1 : Pr 19:20
- Proverbs 4:1 : S Job 8:10
- Proverbs 4:4 : S 1Ki 9:4
- Proverbs 4:4 : Pr 7:2
- Proverbs 4:5 : S Pr 2:12; 3:13-18
- Proverbs 4:6 : 2Th 2:10
- Proverbs 4:6 : S Pr 2:11
- Proverbs 4:7 : Mt 13:44-46
- Proverbs 4:7 : Pr 23:23
- Proverbs 4:8 : S Pr 3:18
- Proverbs 4:9 : S Pr 1:8-9
- Proverbs 4:10 : Ps 34:11-16; Pr 1:8-9
- Proverbs 4:10 : S Dt 11:21
- Proverbs 4:11 : S 1Sa 12:23
- Proverbs 4:11 : 2Sa 22:37; Ps 5:8
- Proverbs 4:12 : S Job 18:7; Pr 3:23
- Proverbs 4:13 : S Pr 3:22
- Proverbs 4:14 : Ps 1:1; S Pr 1:15
- Proverbs 4:16 : Ps 36:4; Mic 7:3
- Proverbs 4:17 : Ge 49:5; Ps 73:6; Pr 1:10-19; 14:22; Isa 59:6; Jer 22:3; Hab 1:2; Mal 2:16
- Proverbs 4:18 : Job 17:9
- Proverbs 4:18 : S Job 22:28
- Proverbs 4:18 : S 2Sa 23:4; Da 12:3; Mt 5:14; Jn 8:12; Php 2:15
- Proverbs 4:19 : S Pr 2:13
- Proverbs 4:19 : S Dt 32:35; S Job 3:23; Pr 13:9; S Isa 8:15
- Proverbs 4:20 : Ps 34:11-16; Pr 1:8-9
- Proverbs 4:20 : Pr 5:1
- Proverbs 4:21 : Pr 3:21
- Proverbs 4:22 : S Pr 3:8
- Proverbs 4:23 : S 2Ki 10:31
- Proverbs 4:23 : Pr 10:11; Lk 6:45
- Proverbs 4:25 : S Job 31:1
- Proverbs 4:26 : Heb 12:13*
- Proverbs 4:27 : S Lev 10:11; S Dt 5:32
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Wisdom is supreme (1-19)
Good parents want to give their children everything, but the best thing a father can give his son is the word of God, for God's word is the source of wisdom. To have wisdom, one must lay hold of God's word with all his heart (4). He must esteem wisdom and love her (7,8). He must set his feet on the path of righteousness. Then he can walk in the light, and his life's direction will be clear (11,18).
2. Above all else, guard your heart (20-27)
We should not be careless about giving our hearts away. Once the heart becomes corrupt, the wellspring of life is polluted. If we give our hearts to God and let his word come in and dwell, then he keeps us from evil; he will help us to walk in the path of righteousness.
Prayer: Lord, help me to lay hold to your word with all my heart so that I may have your wisdom. Help me to guard my heart with diligence so that the wellspring of my life may be kept pure.
One Word: Guard your heart