Proverbs 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 4 ▼
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BSB
Berean Standard Bible
ESV
English Standard Version
KJV
King James Version
NIV
New International Version
NLT
New Living Translation
1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment,
2 For I give you sound teaching; do not abandon my directive. for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions.
3 When I was a son to my father, tender and the only child of my mother, When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.
4 he taught me and said, “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands and you will live. he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn from them. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will preserve you; love her, and she will guard you. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; so acquire wisdom. And whatever you may acquire, gain understanding. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
8 Prize her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head; she will present you with a crown of beauty.” She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.” She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.”
10 Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many. Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.
11 I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
15 Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble. For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence!
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
20 My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words.
21 Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.
23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
24 Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.
25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.
27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.
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