Proverbs 1:8-9
Revised Standard Version
Warnings against Evil Companions
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and reject not your mother’s teaching;
9 for they are a fair garland for your head,
and pendants for your neck.
Proverbs 1:8-9
American Standard Version
8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
And forsake not the [a]law of thy mother:
9 For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head,
And chains about thy neck.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 1:8 Or, teaching
Proverbs 3:1-2
Revised Standard Version
Admonition to Trust and Honor God
3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments;
2 for length of days and years of life
and abundant welfare will they give you.
Proverbs 3:1-2
American Standard Version
3 My son, forget not my [a]law;
But let thy heart keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and years of life,
And peace, will they add to thee.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:1 Or, teaching
Proverbs 4:1-13
Revised Standard Version
Fatherly Advice
4 Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain[a] insight;
2 for I give you good precepts:
do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son with my father,
tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 he taught me, and said to me,
“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live;
5 do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.
Get wisdom; get insight.[b]
6 Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever you get, get insight.
8 Prize her highly,[c] and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head a fair garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
Admonition to Keep to the Right Path
10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
11 I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, your step will not be hampered;
and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Keep hold of instruction, do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:1 Heb know
- Proverbs 4:5 Reversing the order of the lines
- Proverbs 4:8 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
Proverbs 4:1-13
American Standard Version
4 Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father,
And attend to know understanding:
2 For I give you good doctrine;
Forsake ye not my [a]law.
3 For I was a son unto my father,
Tender and [b]only beloved in the sight of my mother.
4 And he taught me, and said unto me:
Let thy heart retain my words;
Keep my commandments, and live;
5 Get wisdom, get understanding;
Forget not, neither decline from the words of my mouth;
6 Forsake her not, and she will preserve thee;
Love her, and she will keep thee.
7 [c]Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom;
Yea, with all [d]thy getting get understanding.
8 Exalt her, and she will promote thee;
She will bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She will give to thy head a chaplet of grace;
A crown of [e]beauty will she deliver to thee.
10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings;
And the years of thy life shall be many.
11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom;
I have led thee in paths of uprightness.
12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened;
And if thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.
13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go:
Keep her; for she is thy life.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:2 Or, teaching
- Proverbs 4:3 Hebrew an only one.
- Proverbs 4:7 Or, The beginning of wisdom is, Get wisdom
- Proverbs 4:7 Or, thou hast gotten
- Proverbs 4:9 Or, glory
Proverbs 4:20-22
Revised Standard Version
20 My son, be attentive to my words;
incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to him who finds them,
and healing to all his flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22
American Standard Version
20 My son, attend to my words;
Incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes;
Keep them in the midst of thy heart.
22 For they are life unto those that find them,
And health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 5:1-2
Revised Standard Version
Warning against Impurity and Infidelity
5 My son, be attentive to my wisdom,
incline your ear to my understanding;
2 that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
Proverbs 5:1-2
American Standard Version
5 My son, attend unto my wisdom;
Incline thine ear to my understanding:
2 That thou mayest preserve discretion,
And that thy lips may keep knowledge.
Proverbs 6:20-23
Revised Standard Version
20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them upon your heart always;
tie them about your neck.
22 When you walk, they[a] will lead you;
when you lie down, they[b] will watch over you;
and when you awake, they[c] will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:22 Heb it
- Proverbs 6:22 Heb it
- Proverbs 6:22 Heb it
Proverbs 6:20-23
American Standard Version
20 My son, keep the commandment of thy father,
And forsake not the [a]law of thy mother:
21 Bind them continually upon thy heart;
Tie them about thy neck.
22 When thou walkest, it shall lead thee;
When thou [b]sleepest, it shall watch over thee;
And when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
23 For [c]the commandment is a lamp; and [d]the law is light;
And reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:20 Or, teaching
- Proverbs 6:22 Hebrew liest down.
- Proverbs 6:23 Or, their commandment
- Proverbs 6:23 Or, their teaching
Proverbs 7:1-3
Revised Standard Version
The False Attractions of Adultery
7 My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 keep my commandments and live,
keep my teachings as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
Proverbs 7:1-3
American Standard Version
7 My son, keep my words,
And lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments and live;
And my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers;
Write them upon the tablet of thy heart.
Proverbs 10:17
Revised Standard Version
17 He who heeds instruction is on the path to life,
but he who rejects reproof goes astray.
Proverbs 10:17
American Standard Version
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:17 Or, is a way
- Proverbs 10:17 Or, instruction
- Proverbs 10:17 Or, causeth to err
Proverbs 19:16
Revised Standard Version
16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises the word[a] will die.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:16 Cn Compare 13.13: Heb his ways
Proverbs 19:16
American Standard Version
16 He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his soul;
But he that [a]is careless of his ways shall die.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 19:16 Hebrew despiseth.
Proverbs 23:22
Revised Standard Version
22 Hearken to your father who begot you,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
Proverbs 23:22
American Standard Version
22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee,
And despise not thy mother when she is old.
Proverbs 28:4
Revised Standard Version
4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them.
Proverbs 28:4
American Standard Version
4 They that forsake the law praise the wicked;
But such as keep the law contend with them.
Proverbs 28:7
Revised Standard Version
7 He who keeps the law is a wise son,
but a companion of gluttons shames his father.
Proverbs 28:7
American Standard Version
7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son;
But he that is a companion of gluttons shameth his father.
Proverbs 29:18
Revised Standard Version
18 Where there is no prophecy the people cast off restraint,
but blessed is he who keeps the law.
Proverbs 29:18
American Standard Version
18 Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint;
But he that keepeth the law, happy is he.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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