Daily reading
Proverbs · IV · 1–9
Proverbs 4:1–9 · NLT
XIV · X · MMXXVI
Key verses · Proverbs 4:1–9 · NLT
5et wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. (NLT)
7Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. (NLT)
8If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. (NLT)
Proverbs 4:1–9 · New Living Translation
1y children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment,
2for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions.
3For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.
4My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live.
5Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
6Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.
7Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
8If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.
9She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.” (NLT)
A note on Scripture quoting
We’ve hit this translation’s public quoting limit for now, so this is a good time to pick up your own Bible and read the rest of the passage.
In short
Chapter 4 opens with a father handing down what his own father taught him. The charge is simple and urgent: get wisdom, develop good judgment, and don’t turn away. Wisdom isn’t a side project. It is the wisest thing you can pursue, and it protects, guards, and honors the one who prizes it.
The picture is warm, not harsh. Love wisdom. Embrace her. She answers that love with protection and honor.
Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. (NLT)
Proverbs 4:7
Try today
Before you chase the next task, ask one quiet question: what would good judgment look like here? Then take one small step that prizes wisdom over speed or habit.