Proverbs 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Proverbs 4 ▼
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1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and 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 sound learning. Don’t 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 a son to my father, tender and an only child 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 He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain 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. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate 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 Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep 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 Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, 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 Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you 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 your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.” 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 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will 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 you in the way of wisdom. I have led 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 go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will 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 firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your 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 enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk 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, and don’t pass 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 don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone 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 like the dawning light that shines more and more until 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 like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble 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 son, attend to my words. Turn your 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 Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of 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 are life to those who find them, and health 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 Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring 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 yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you. 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 your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly 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 Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your 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 Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your 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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