| English Standard Version | New Living Translation |
| 1Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, | 1My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment, |
| 2for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. | 2for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions. |
| 3When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, | 3For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child. |
| 4he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. | 4My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live. |
| 5Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. | 5Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them. |
| 6Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. | 6Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. |
| 7The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. | 7Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment. |
| 8Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. | 8If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you. |
| 9She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” | 9She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.” |
| 10Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. | 10My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. |
| 11I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. | 11I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths. |
| 12When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. | 12When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble. |
| 13Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. | 13Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. |
| 14Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. | 14Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. |
| 15Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. | 15Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving. |
| 16For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. | 16For 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. |
| 17For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. | 17They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence! |
| 18But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. | 18The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. |
| 19The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. | 19But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. |
| 20My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. | 20My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. |
| 21Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. | 21Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, |
| 22For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. | 22for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. |
| 23Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. | 23Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. |
| 24Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. | 24Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. |
| 25Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. | 25Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. |
| 26Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. | 26Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. |
| 27Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. | 27Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
| ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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