Proverbs 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 4 ▼
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JPS
JPS Tanakh 1917
ESV
English Standard Version
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1 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding. 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 give you good doctrine; Forsake ye not my teaching. 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 a son unto my father, Tender and an only one 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 unto me: 'Let thy heart hold fast my words, Keep my commandments, and 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 understanding; 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 will preserve thee; Love her, and she will keep 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 is: Get wisdom; Yea, with all thy getting get understanding. 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 Extol her, and she will exalt thee; She will bring thee to honour, when thou dost 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 will give to thy head a chaplet of grace; A crown of glory will she bestow on thee.' 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 sayings; And the years of thy life shall be 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 have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in paths of uprightness. 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 When thou goest, thy step shall not be straitened; And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. 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 fast hold of instruction, let her not go; Keep her, for she 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 path of the wicked, And walk not in the way of evil 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 Avoid it, pass not by it; Turn from it, and pass on. 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 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 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.
18 But the path of the righteous is as the light of dawn, That shineth more and more unto the 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 as darkness; They know not at what they stumble. 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, attend to my words; Incline thine ear unto 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; 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 unto those that find them, And health to 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 Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; For out of it are the issues of 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 perverse lips put far 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 look right on, And let thine eyelids look straight 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 Make plain the path of thy feet, And let all thy ways be established. 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 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; Remove thy foot from evil. 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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