Proverbs 4

The Father's Wisdom 

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                                    1 Listen, children, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so that you may gain discernment.                                

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

                                    1 Hear, O sons, the (A)instruction of a father,And (B)give attention that you may (a)gain understanding,                                

                                    1 Listen, my sons, to a father’s discipline,(A)and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,                                

                                    1 Listen, children, to your father's instruction, and pay attention in order to gain understanding.                                
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                                    2 Because I give you good instruction, do not forsake my teaching.                                

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

                                    2 For I give you (b)sound (C)teaching;(D)Do not abandon my (c)instruction.                                

                                    2 for I am giving you good instruction.(B)Don’t abandon my teaching.                                

                                    2 I give you sound teaching, so do not abandon my instruction.                                
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                                    3 When I was a son to my father, a tender only child before my mother,                                

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

                                    3 When I was a son to my father,(E)Tender and (F)the only son in the sight of my mother,                                

                                    3 When I was a son with my father,tender and precious to my mother,                                

                                    3 When I was a son to my father, not yet strong and an only son to my mother,                                
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                                    4 he taught me, and he said to me: "Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands so that you will live.                                

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

                                    4 Then he (G)taught me and said to me,“Let your heart (H)hold fast my words;(I)Keep my commandments and live;                                

                                    4 he taught me and said:“Your heart must hold on to my words.Keep my commands and live.(C)                                

                                    4 he taught me and told me, "Let your heart fully embrace what I have to say; keep my commandments and live!                                
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                                    5 Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding; do not forget and do not turn aside from the words I speak.                                

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

                                    5 (J)Acquire wisdom! (K)Acquire understanding!Do not forget nor turn away from the words of my mouth.                                

                                    5 Get wisdom, get understanding;(D)don’t forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.                                

                                    5 Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth!                                
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                                    6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will guard you.                                

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

                                    6 “Do not forsake her, and she will guard you;(L)Love her, and she will watch over you.                                

                                    6 Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;love her,(E) and she will guard you.                                

                                    6 Do not abandon her, and she will protect you. Love her, and she will watch over you.                                
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                                    7 Wisdom is supreme  --  so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding!                                

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

                                    7 “(M)The (d)beginning of wisdom is: (N)Acquire wisdom;And with all your acquiring, get understanding.                                

                                    7 Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.And whatever else you get, get understanding.(F)                                

                                    7 Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom, and with all your effort work to acquire understanding.                                
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                                    8 Esteem her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.                                

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

                                    8 “(O)Prize her, and she will exalt you;She will honor you if you embrace her.                                

                                    8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;if you embrace her, she will honor you.(G)                                

                                    8 Prize her and she will exalt you. Indeed, if you embrace her, she will honor you.                                
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                                    9 She will place a fair garland on your head; she will bestow a beautiful crown on you."                                

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

                                    9 “She will place (P)on your head a garland of grace;She will present you with a crown of beauty.”                                

                                    9 She will place a garland of grace on your head;she will give you a crown of beauty.”(H)                                

                                    9 She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will present to you a crown of beauty."                                
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                                    10 Listen, my child, and accept my words, so that the years of your life will be many.                                

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

                                    10 Hear, my son, and (Q)accept my sayingsAnd the (R)years of your life will be many.                                

                                    10 Listen, my son. Accept my words,(I)and you will live many years.(J)                                

                                    10 Listen, my son: accept my words, and you'll live a long, long time.                                
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                                    11 I will guide you in the way of wisdom and I will lead you in upright paths.                                

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

                                    11 I have (S)directed you in the way of wisdom;I have led you in upright paths.                                

                                    11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom;I am guiding you on straight paths.(K)                                

                                    11 I have directed you in the way of wisdom, and I have led you along straight paths.                                
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                                    12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble.                                

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

                                    12 When you walk, your (T)steps will not be impeded;And if you run, you (U)will not stumble.                                

                                    12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;(L)when you run, you will not stumble.(M)                                

                                    12 When you walk, your step will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble.                                
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                                    13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; protect it, because it is your life.                                

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

                                    13 (V)Take hold of instruction; do not let go.Guard her, for she is your (W)life.                                

                                    13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.(N)Guard it, for it is your life.                                

                                    13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go! Guard wisdom, because she is your life!                                
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                                    14 Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of those who are evil.                                

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

                                    14 (X)Do not enter the path of the wickedAnd do not proceed in the way of evil men.                                

                                    14 Don’t set foot on the path of the wicked;(O)don’t proceed in the way of evil ones.                                

                                    14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, or go along the way of evil men.                                
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                                    15 Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it, and go on.                                

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

                                    15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;Turn away from it and pass on.                                

                                    15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it.Turn away from it, and pass it by.                                

                                    15 Avoid it! Don't travel on it! Turn away from it, and pass on by.                                
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                                    16 For they cannot sleep unless they cause harm; they are robbed of sleep until they make someone stumble.                                

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

                                    16 For they (Y)cannot sleep unless they do evil;And (e)they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.                                

                                    16 For they can’t sleepunless they have done what is evil;they are robbed of sleepunless they make someone stumble.(P)                                

                                    16 For they cannot sleep unless they are doing evil, and they are robbed of their sleep unless they cause someone to stumble.                                
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                                    17 For they eat bread gained from wickedness and drink wine obtained from violence.                                

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

                                    17 For they (Z)eat the bread of wickednessAnd drink the wine of violence.                                

                                    17 They eat the bread of wickednessand drink the wine of violence.                                

                                    17 For they eat the bread of wickedness, and they drink the wine of violence.                                
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                                    18 But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day.                                

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

                                    18 But the (AA)path of the righteous is like the (AB)light of dawn,That (AC)shines brighter and brighter until the (AD)full day.                                

                                    18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,(Q)shining brighter and brighter until midday.                                

                                    18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that grows brighter until the full light of day.                                
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                                    19 The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness; they do not know what causes them to stumble.                                

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

                                    19 The (AE)way of the wicked is like darkness;They do not know over what they (f)(AF)stumble.                                

                                    19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;(R)they don’t know what makes them stumble.(S)                                

                                    19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, and they do not know what they are stumbling over.                                
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                                    20 My child, pay attention to my words; listen attentively to my sayings.                                

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

                                    20 My son, (AG)give attention to my words;(AH)Incline your ear to my sayings.                                

                                    20 My son, pay attention to my words;listen closely to my sayings.(T)                                

                                    20 My son, pay attention to my words, and listen closely to what I say.                                
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                                    21 Do not let them depart from your sight, guard them within your heart;                                

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

                                    21 (AI)Do not let them depart from your sight;(AJ)Keep them in the midst of your heart.                                

                                    21 Don’t lose sight of them;(U)keep them within your heart.                                

                                    21 Do not let them out of your sight; keep them within your heart.                                
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                                    22 for they are life to those who find them and healing to one's entire body.                                

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

                                    22 For they are (AK)life to those who find themAnd (AL)health to all (g)their body.                                

                                    22 For they are life to those who find them,and health to one’s whole body.                                

                                    22 For they are life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.                                
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                                    23 Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life.                                

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

                                    23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,For (AM)from it flow the springs of life.                                

                                    23 Guard your heart above all else,(a)for it is the source of life.(V)                                

                                    23 Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life.                                
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                                    24 Remove perverse speech from your mouth; keep devious talk far from your lips.                                

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

                                    24 Put away from you a (AN)deceitful mouthAnd (AO)put devious (h)speech far from you.                                

                                    24 Don’t let your mouth speak dishonestly,(W)and don’t let your lips talk deviously.                                

                                    24 Never talk deceptively and don't keep company with people whose speech is corrupt.                                
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                                    25 Let your eyes look directly in front of you and let your gaze look straight before you.                                

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

                                    25 Let your eyes look directly aheadAnd let your (i)gaze be fixed straight in front of you.                                

                                    25 Let your eyes look forward;fix your gaze(b) straight ahead.(X)                                

                                    25 Let your eyes look directly ahead; fix your gaze straight in front of you.                                
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                                    26 Make the path for your feet level, so that all your ways may be established.                                

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

                                    26 (AP)Watch the path of your feetAnd all your (AQ)ways will be established.                                

                                    26 Carefully consider the path(c) for your feet,(Y)and all your ways will be established.                                

                                    26 Carefully measure the paths for your feet, and all your ways will be established.                                
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                                    27 Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn yourself away from evil.                                

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

                                    27 (AR)Do not turn to the right nor to the left;(AS)Turn your foot from evil.                                

                                    27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left;(Z)keep your feet away from evil.                                

                                    27 Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.