Proverbs 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 4 ▼
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Brenton Septuagint Translation
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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 a good gift; forsake ye 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 a son obedient to my father, and loved 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 who spoke and instructed me, saying , Let our speech be fixed in thine heart, keep our commandments, forget them not: 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 and do not neglect the speech 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 And forsake it not, and it shall cleave to thee: love it, and it shall 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 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 Secure it, and it shall exalt thee: honour it, that it may embrace thee; 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 that it may give unto thy head a crown of graces, and may cover thee with a crown of delight. 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, my son, and receive my words; and the years of thy life shall be increased, that the resources of thy life may 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 For I teach thee the ways of wisdom; and I cause thee to go in right 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 For when thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not be distressed. 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 instruction; let it not go, - but keep it for thyself for 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 Go not in the ways of the ungodly, neither covet the ways of transgressors. 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 In whatever place they shall pitch their camp, go not thither; but turn from them, and pass away. 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 cannot sleep, unless they have done evil: their sleep is taken away, and they rest not. 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 these live upon the bread of ungodliness, and are drunken with wine of transgression. 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 ways of the righteous shine like light; they go on and shine, until the day be fully come. 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 ways of the ungodly are dark; they know not how 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 speech; and apply thine ear 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 that thy fountains may not fail thee; keep them in 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 to 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 Keep thine heart with the utmost care; for out of these 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 Remove from thee a froward mouth, and put far away from thee unjust lips. 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 assent to just things . 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 straight paths for thy feet, and order thy ways 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 Turn not aside to the right hand nor to the left, but turn away thy foot from an evil way: for God knows the ways on the right hand, but those on the left are crooked: and he will make thy ways straight, and will guide thy steps in peace. 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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