Proverbes 4:2-12

2 Car je vous donne de bons conseils; n'abandonnez point mon enseignement.
3 Quand j'étais encore enfant près de mon père, tendre et chéri auprès de ma mère,
4 Il m'enseignait et me disait: Que ton cœur retienne mes paroles; garde mes commandements, et tu vivras.
5 Acquiers la sagesse, acquiers la prudence; ne l'oublie pas, et ne te détourne point des paroles de ma bouche.
6 Ne l'abandonne pas, elle te gardera; aime-la, et elle te protégera.
7 Le commencement de la sagesse, c'est d'acquérir la sagesse; acquiers la prudence au prix de tout ton avoir.
8 Estime-la, et elle t'élèvera; elle fera ta gloire quand tu l'auras embrassée.
9 Elle posera sur ta tête une couronne de grâces, et te donnera un diadème de gloire.
10 Écoute, mon fils, et reçois mes paroles; et les années de ta vie te seront multipliées.
11 Je t'ai enseigné le chemin de la sagesse, et je t'ai fait marcher dans les sentiers de la droiture.
12 Quand tu marcheras, tes pas ne seront pas gênés, et quand tu courras, tu ne broncheras point.

Proverbes 4:2-12 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO PROVERBS 4

In this chapter Solomon advises to seek after wisdom, to avoid bad company, and to continue in the right paths of goodness and truth: he excites attention to what he had to say, from the relation he stood in to the persons addressed; from the nature of his instructions, which were good and profitable; and from his own example, in attending to those his parents gave him, Pr 4:1-4; He exhorts above all things to get wisdom, from the superior excellency of it, and from the preservation, promotion, and honour, to be had by it, Pr 4:5-9; and he further enforces big exhortations, from their being the means of a comfortable life, and of the prolongation of it, and of leading in a right way without straitness or stumbling, Pr 4:10-13. And then proceeds to caution against bad company, and going into a bad way of life; which is enforced from the mischief done by those that walk in it, and from the darkness of it, to which the path of the just is opposed, Pr 4:14-19. And the exhortation to attend to and observe his instructions, and keep them, is repeated, from the consideration of their being life and health to them, Pr 4:20-22; and that they might be preserved, and not departed from, direction's are given about ordering the heart, mouth, lips, eyes, and feet, Pr 4:23-27.

The Ostervald translation is in the public domain.