Proverbes 4:1-9

1 Enfants, écoutez l'instruction de votre père, et soyez attentifs pour connaître la prudence.
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.

Proverbes 4:1-9 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.