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Proverbs 4

Children, listen to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you can gain understanding. I'm giving you good teaching, so don't abandon my law. I too was my father's son, tender and dearly loved by my mother. He taught me and said, ‘Let your heart hold on to my words. Keep my commandments and live.’

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Get wisdom

Children, listen to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you can gain understanding. I'm giving you good teaching, so don't abandon my law. I too was my father's son, tender and dearly loved by my mother. He taught me and said, ‘Let your heart hold on to my words. Keep my commandments and live.’ Get wisdom and get understanding. Don't forget them or turn away from the words of my mouth. Don't abandon wisdom and she will preserve you. Love her and she will keep you. Wisdom is the main thing, so get wisdom. Whatever else you gain, get understanding. Exalt her and she will lift you up; embrace her and she will bring you honour. She'll place a graceful ornament on your head and give you a crown of glory. Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many. I've taught you in the way of wisdom and led you along right paths. When you walk, your steps won't be cramped; when you run, you won't stumble. Take firm hold of instruction and don't let her go. Guard her, because she is your life.

Listen, you children, to the teaching of a father, and pay attention to know understanding. Because I give you good learning. Don't leave my teaching. Because I was my father's son, tender and the only one loved in the sight of my mother. He taught me too and said to me: Let your heart hold onto my words. Keep my orders and live. Get wisdom, get understanding. Don't forget it, and don't turn away from the words of my mouth. Don't leave her, and she'll keep you. Love her, and she'll look after you. Wisdom is the main thing. So get wisdom. And with everything you get, get understanding. Lift her up, and she'll bring you up. She'll bring you to honour when you hold her close. She'll give a graceful garland to your head. She'll hand you a crown of glory. Listen, my son, and take my sayings, and the years of your life will be plenty. I've taught you in the way of wisdom. I've led you in straight paths. When you go, your steps won't be crowded. And when you run, you won't stumble. Take hold of teaching. Don't let it go. Keep her, because she's your life.

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

1

Children, listen to a father's instruction, and pay attention so you can gain understanding.

Plain English

Listen, you children, to the teaching of a father, and pay attention to know understanding.

King James Version, 1611

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

2

I'm giving you good teaching, so don't abandon my law.

Plain English

Because I give you good learning. Don't leave my teaching.

King James Version, 1611

For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law.

3

I too was my father's son, tender and dearly loved by my mother.

Plain English

Because I was my father's son, tender and the only one loved in the sight of my mother.

King James Version, 1611

For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

4

He taught me and said, ‘Let your heart hold on to my words. Keep my commandments and live.’

Plain English

He taught me too and said to me: Let your heart hold onto my words. Keep my orders and live.

King James Version, 1611

He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.

5

Get wisdom and get understanding. Don't forget them or turn away from the words of my mouth.

Plain English

Get wisdom, get understanding. Don't forget it, and don't turn away from the words of my mouth.

King James Version, 1611

Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth.

6

Don't abandon wisdom and she will preserve you. Love her and she will keep you.

Plain English

Don't leave her, and she'll keep you. Love her, and she'll look after you.

King James Version, 1611

Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee.

7

Wisdom is the main thing, so get wisdom. Whatever else you gain, get understanding.

Plain English

Wisdom is the main thing. So get wisdom. And with everything you get, get understanding.

King James Version, 1611

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.

8

Exalt her and she will lift you up; embrace her and she will bring you honour.

Plain English

Lift her up, and she'll bring you up. She'll bring you to honour when you hold her close.

King James Version, 1611

Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her.

9

She'll place a graceful ornament on your head and give you a crown of glory.

Plain English

She'll give a graceful garland to your head. She'll hand you a crown of glory.

King James Version, 1611

She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee.

10

Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many.

Plain English

Listen, my son, and take my sayings, and the years of your life will be plenty.

King James Version, 1611

Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.

11

I've taught you in the way of wisdom and led you along right paths.

Plain English

I've taught you in the way of wisdom. I've led you in straight paths.

King James Version, 1611

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

12

When you walk, your steps won't be cramped; when you run, you won't stumble.

Plain English

When you go, your steps won't be crowded. And when you run, you won't stumble.

King James Version, 1611

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

13

Take firm hold of instruction and don't let her go. Guard her, because she is your life.

Plain English

Take hold of teaching. Don't let it go. Keep her, because she's your life.

King James Version, 1611

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

The path of the righteous

Don't enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it. Don't go near it. Turn away from it and keep moving. They can't sleep unless they've done mischief; they lose sleep unless they've made someone fall. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the shining light, growing brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they don't even know what they're stumbling over.

Don't go into the path of the wicked, and don't walk in the way of evil men. Keep off it. Don't go along it. Turn from it and go past. Because they can't sleep unless they've done harm. And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. Because they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the shining light that shines brighter and brighter to the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don't know what they stumble over.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

14

Don't enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men.

Plain English

Don't go into the path of the wicked, and don't walk in the way of evil men.

King James Version, 1611

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

15

Avoid it. Don't go near it. Turn away from it and keep moving.

Plain English

Keep off it. Don't go along it. Turn from it and go past.

King James Version, 1611

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

16

They can't sleep unless they've done mischief; they lose sleep unless they've made someone fall.

Plain English

Because they can't sleep unless they've done harm. And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall.

King James Version, 1611

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall.

17

They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

Plain English

Because they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

King James Version, 1611

For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

18

The path of the righteous is like the shining light, growing brighter and brighter until full day.

Plain English

But the path of the righteous is like the shining light that shines brighter and brighter to the full day.

King James Version, 1611

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

19

The way of the wicked is like darkness; they don't even know what they're stumbling over.

Plain English

The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don't know what they stumble over.

King James Version, 1611

The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

Keep your heart

My son, pay attention to my words. Listen closely to what I say. Don't let them out of your sight. Keep them deep within your heart. They are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh. Guard your heart with all diligence, because the issues of life flow from it. Put a crooked mouth away from you, and keep perverse lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead; keep your gaze fixed before you. Think carefully about the path your feet are taking, and let all your ways be established. Don't turn to the right or the left. Keep your foot away from evil.

My son, pay attention to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings. Don't let them go from your eyes. Keep them in the middle of your heart. Because they're life to the ones who find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep your heart with everything you've got, because out of it come the springs of life. Put a twisted mouth away from you, and put crooked lips far from you. Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids look right in front of you. Watch the path of your feet, and let all your ways be set right. Don't turn to the right or to the left. Take your foot away from evil.

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

20

My son, pay attention to my words. Listen closely to what I say.

Plain English

My son, pay attention to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.

King James Version, 1611

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

21

Don't let them out of your sight. Keep them deep within your heart.

Plain English

Don't let them go from your eyes. Keep them in the middle of your heart.

King James Version, 1611

Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

22

They are life to those who find them and health to all their flesh.

Plain English

Because they're life to the ones who find them, and health to all their flesh.

King James Version, 1611

For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

23

Guard your heart with all diligence, because the issues of life flow from it.

Plain English

Keep your heart with everything you've got, because out of it come the springs of life.

King James Version, 1611

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

24

Put a crooked mouth away from you, and keep perverse lips far from you.

Plain English

Put a twisted mouth away from you, and put crooked lips far from you.

King James Version, 1611

Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

25

Let your eyes look straight ahead; keep your gaze fixed before you.

Plain English

Let your eyes look straight ahead, and let your eyelids look right in front of you.

King James Version, 1611

Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

26

Think carefully about the path your feet are taking, and let all your ways be established.

Plain English

Watch the path of your feet, and let all your ways be set right.

King James Version, 1611

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

27

Don't turn to the right or the left. Keep your foot away from evil.

Plain English

Don't turn to the right or to the left. Take your foot away from evil.

King James Version, 1611

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.