10 My son, if sinners (A)entice you,
(B)Do not consent.

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10 My child, if sinners entice you,
    turn your back on them!

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10 My son, if sinful men entice(A) you,
    do not give in(B) to them.(C)

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23 Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For (A)from it flow the springs of life.
24 Rid yourself of a (B)deceitful mouth
And (C)keep devious [a]speech far from you.
25 Let your eyes look directly ahead
And let your [b]gaze be fixed straight in front of you.
26 (D)[c]Watch the path of your feet,
And all your (E)ways will be established.
27 (F)Do not turn to the right or to the left;
(G)Turn your foot from evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:24 Or lips
  2. Proverbs 4:25 Or eyelids
  3. Proverbs 4:26 I.e., prob. stay on the path

23 Guard your heart above all else,
    for it determines the course of your life.

24 Avoid all perverse talk;
    stay away from corrupt speech.

25 Look straight ahead,
    and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
    stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
    keep your feet from following evil.

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23 Above all else, guard(A) your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.(B)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
    keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes(C) look straight ahead;
    fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[a] paths for your feet(D)
    and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;(E)
    keep your foot from evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level

One (A)who walks in integrity walks securely,
But (B)one who perverts his ways will be found out.

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People with integrity walk safely,
    but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed.

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Whoever walks in integrity(A) walks securely,(B)
    but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out.(C)

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The (A)righteousness of the blameless will smooth his way,
But (B)the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright will rescue them,
But the treacherous will (C)be caught by their own greed.

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The godly are directed by honesty;
    the wicked fall beneath their load of sin.

The godliness of good people rescues them;
    the ambition of treacherous people traps them.

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The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,(A)
    but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.(B)

The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
    but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.(C)

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12 There (A)is a way which seems right to a person,
But its (B)end is the way of death.

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12 There is a path before each person that seems right,
    but it ends in death.

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12 There is a way that appears to be right,(A)
    but in the end it leads to death.(B)

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16 A wise person [a]is cautious and (A)turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:16 Lit fears

16 The wise are cautious[a] and avoid danger;
    fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:16 Hebrew The wise fear.

16 The wise fear the Lord and shun evil,(A)
    but a fool(B) is hotheaded and yet feels secure.

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22 Will they who (A)devise evil not go astray?
But kindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

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22 If you plan to do evil, you will be lost;
    if you plan to do good, you will receive unfailing love and faithfulness.

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22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?(A)
    But those who plan what is good find[a] love and faithfulness.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:22 Or show

The (A)eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.

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The Lord is watching everywhere,
    keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

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The eyes(A) of the Lord are everywhere,(B)
    keeping watch on the wicked and the good.(C)

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By (A)mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing,
And by [a]the (B)fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:6 Or reverence for

Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
    By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.

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Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
    through the fear of the Lord(A) evil is avoided.(B)

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