Proverbs 4:1-22 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 4:1-22 ▼
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1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend that you may know prudence. Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I will give you a good gift, forsake not my law. for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I also was my father's son, tender and as an only son in the sight of my mother: When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 And he taught me, and said: Let thy heart receive my words, keep my commandments, and thou shalt live. he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast 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.
5 Get wisdom, get prudence: forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Forsake her not, and she shall keep thee: love her, and she shall preserve thee. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 The beginning of wisdom, get wisdom, and with all thy possession purchase prudence. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
8 Take hold on her, and she shall exalt thee: thou shalt be glorified by her, when thou shalt embrace her. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She shall give to thy head increase of graces, and protect thee with a noble crown. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my words, that years of life may be multiplied to thee. Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many.
11 I will shew thee the way of wisdom, I will lead thee by the paths of equity: I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.
12 Which when thou shalt have entered, thy steps shall not be straitened, and when thou runnest thou shalt not meet a stumblingblock. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take hold on instruction, leave it not: keep it, because it is thy life. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
14 Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they sleep not except they have done evil: and their sleep is taken away unless they have made some to fall. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of iniquity. 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.
18 But the path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 The way of the wicked is darksome: they know not where they fall. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, hearken to my words, and incline thy ear to my sayings. My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.
21 Let them not depart from thy eyes, keep them in the midst of thy heart: Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;
22 For they are life to those that find them, and health to all flesh. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.
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