Proverbs 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 4 ▼
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NLT
New Living Translation
ESV
English Standard Version
NIV
New International Version
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1 My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment, 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 am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions. 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, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child. 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 My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow 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. 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; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. 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 Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. 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 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. 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 If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. 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 place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful 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 My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. 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 teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. 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 you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t 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 hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to 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 Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. 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 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving. 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 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. 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 food 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 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of 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 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. 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 child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. 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 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your 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 bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. 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 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your 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 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. 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 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. 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 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. 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 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following 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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