Parallel Chapters Listen to a Father's Instruction | 1Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. | 1Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, | 1Hear, O sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention that you may gain understanding, | 1Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. | 1Listen, my sons, to a father's discipline, and pay attention so that you may gain understanding, |
| 2I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. | 2for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. | 2For I give you sound teaching; Do not abandon my instruction. | 2For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. | 2for I am giving you good instruction. Don't abandon my teaching. |
| 3For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. | 3When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, | 3When I was a son to my father, Tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, | 3For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. | 3When I was a son with my father, tender and precious to my mother, |
| 4Then he taught me, and he said to me, "Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. | 4he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. | 4Then he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; Keep my commandments and live; | 4He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. | 4he taught me and said:" Your heart must hold on to my words. Keep my commands and live. |
| 5Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. | 5Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. | 5Acquire wisdom! Acquire understanding! Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth. | 5Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. | 5Get wisdom, get understanding; don't forget or turn away from the words of my mouth. |
| 6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. | 6Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. | 6"Do not forsake her, and she will guard you; Love her, and she will watch over you. | 6Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. | 6Don't abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you; love her, and she will guard you. |
| 7The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. | 7The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. | 7"The beginning of wisdom is: Acquire wisdom; And with all your acquiring, get understanding. | 7Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. | 7Wisdom is supreme--so get wisdom. And whatever else you get, get understanding. |
| 8Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. | 8Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. | 8"Prize her, and she will exalt you; She will honor you if you embrace her. | 8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. | 8Cherish her, and she will exalt you; if you embrace her, she will honor you. |
| 9She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown." | 9She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” | 9"She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty." | 9She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. | 9She will place a garland of grace on your head; she will give you a crown of beauty." |
| 10Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. | 10Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. | 10Hear, my son, and accept my sayings And the years of your life will be many. | 10Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. | 10Listen, my son. Accept my words, and you will live many years. |
| 11I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. | 11I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. | 11I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths. | 11I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. | 11I am teaching you the way of wisdom; I am guiding you on straight paths. |
| 12When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. | 12When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. | 12When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; And if you run, you will not stumble. | 12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. | 12When you walk, your steps will not be hindered; when you run, you will not stumble. |
| 13Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. | 13Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. | 13Take hold of instruction; do not let go. Guard her, for she is your life. | 13Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. | 13Hold on to instruction; don't let go. Guard it, for it is your life. |
| 14Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. | 14Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. | 14Do not enter the path of the wicked And do not proceed in the way of evil men. | 14Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. | 14Don't set foot on the path of the wicked; don't proceed in the way of evil ones. |
| 15Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. | 15Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. | 15Avoid it, do not pass by it; Turn away from it and pass on. | 15Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. | 15Avoid it; don't travel on it. Turn away from it, and pass it by. |
| 16For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble. | 16For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. | 16For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; And they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. | 16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. | 16For they can't sleep unless they have done what is evil; they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble. |
| 17They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. | 17For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. | 17For they eat the bread of wickedness And drink the wine of violence. | 17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. | 17They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. |
| 18The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. | 18But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. | 18But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. | 18But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. | 18The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. |
| 19But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. | 19The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. | 19The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know over what they stumble. | 19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. | 19But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they don't know what makes them stumble. |
| 20My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. | 20My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. | 20My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. | 20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. | 20My son, pay attention to my words; listen closely to my sayings. |
| 21Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; | 21Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. | 21Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. | 21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. | 21Don't lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. |
| 22for they are life to those who find them and health to one's whole body. | 22For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. | 22For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. | 22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. | 22For they are life to those who find them, and health to one's whole body. |
| 23Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. | 23Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life. | 23Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. | 23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. | 23Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life. |
| 24Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. | 24Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. | 24Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. | 24Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. | 24Don't let your mouth speak dishonestly, and don't let your lips talk deviously. |
| 25Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. | 25Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. | 25Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. | 25Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. | 25Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. |
| 26Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. | 26Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. | 26Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. | 26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. | 26Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. |
| 27Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. | 27Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. | 27Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil. | 27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. | 27Don't turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil. |
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica®. ESV® Text Edition® (2016): The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960 - 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. King James Bible Text courtesy of BibleProtector.comSection Headings Courtesy INT Bible © 2012, Used by Permission.
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