Proverbs 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 4 ▼
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GENEVA
Geneva Bible of 1587
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
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1 Heare, O ye children, the instruction of a father, and giue eare to learne vnderstanding. 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 For I doe giue you a good doctrine: therefore forsake yee not my lawe. 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 was my fathers sonne, tender and deare 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 When he taught me, and sayde vnto me, Let thine heart holde fast my woordes: keepe my commandements, and thou shalt liue. 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 wisedom: get vnderstading: forget not, neither decline from the woordes 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 shee shall keepe thee: loue her and shee shall preserue 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 Wisedome is the beginning: get wisedome therefore: and aboue all thy possession get vnderstanding. 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 Exalt her, and she shall exalt thee: she shall bring thee to honour, if thou 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 shal giue a comely ornamet vnto thine head, yea, she shal giue thee a crowne of glorie. 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 Heare, my sonne, & receiue my wordes, and the yeeres of thy life shalbe many. 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 haue taught thee in ye way of wisedom, and led thee in the pathes of righteousnesse. 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 Whe thou goest, thy gate shal not be strait, and when thou runnest, thou shalt not fall. 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 holde of instruction, and leaue not: keepe her, for shee 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 Enter not into the way of the wicked, and walke not in the way of euill men. 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 Auoide it, and goe not by it: turne from it, and passe by. 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 can not sleepe, except they haue done euill, and their sleepe departeth except they cause 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 For they eate the breade of wickednesse, and drinke 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.
18 But the way of the righteous shineth as the light, that shineth more and more vnto the perfite 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 as the darkenes: they knowe not wherein they shall 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 sonne, hearken vnto my wordes, incline thine eare vnto 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 thine eyes, but keepe them in the middes of thine 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 vnto those that find them, and health vnto all their 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.
23 Keepe thine heart with all diligence: for thereout commeth life. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.
24 Put away from thee a froward mouth, and put wicked lippes farre from thee. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let thine eyes beholde the right, and let thine eyeliddes direct thy way before thee. Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Ponder the path of thy feete, and let all thy waies be ordred aright. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Turne not to the right hande, nor to the left, but remooue thy foote from euill. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.
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