Proverbs 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 4 ▼
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Smith's Literal Translation
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English Standard Version
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1 Hear, ye sons, 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 gave to you good instruction; ye shall not forsake 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 was son to my father; tender and only before the face 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 he will say to me, Thy heart shall hold fast my words: watch my commands 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 Obtain wisdom, obtain understanding: thou shalt not forget, and thou shalt not 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 Thou shalt not forsake her, and she will watch thee: love her, and she will guard 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 Wisdom the beginning; obtain wisdom, and with all thine acquisition, obtain 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 Lift her up and she shall exalt thee: she will honor thee 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 will give to thy head a garland of grace: a crown of glory she will deliver 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, my son, and receive my words, and the years of life shall 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 In the way of wisdom I taught thee; I caused thee to tread in the tracks 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 In thy going, thy steps shall not be pressed; and if thou shalt run thou shalt not be weak. 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 Lay hold upon instruction, thou shalt not let go: guard 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 In the path of the unjust thou shalt not go, and thou shalt not advance in the way of the wicked. 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 Reject it, thou shalt not pass in it; turn aside from it and pass 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 slept not, if they shall not do evil; and their sleep was taken away, if they shall not cause to falter. 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 ate the bread of injustice, and they will drink the wine of violences: 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 path of the just as the light shining, going and shining even to the day prepared. 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 unjust as darkness: they shall not know in what they shall 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 word; incline thine 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 They shall not turn aside from thine eyes; watch 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 finding them, and healing 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 Guard thy heart with all watching, for from it the goings forth 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 Turn away from thee perverseness of mouth, and frowardness of lips remove far oft 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 Thine eyes shall look straight before, and thine eyelashes shall be right 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 level the track of thy feet, and all thy ways shall be prepared. 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 Thou shalt not decline to the right and the left: turn away 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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