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My son, listen to your father’s instruction,
    and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:
for they will be a garland to grace your head,
    and chains around your neck.

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Avoid the Path of the Violent

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching,(A)
for they will be a garland(B) of favor on your head
and pendants[a] around your neck.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 1:9 Lit chains

My son, don’t forget my teaching;
    but let your heart keep my commandments:
for they will add to you length of days,
    years of life, and peace.

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Trust the Lord

My son, don’t forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commands;(A)
for they will bring you
many days, a full life,[a](B) and well-being.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 3:2 Lit days, years of life

Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction.
    Pay attention and know understanding;
for I give you sound learning.
    Don’t forsake my law.
For I was a son to my father,
    tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
He taught me, and said to me:
    “Let your heart retain my words.
    Keep my commandments, and live.
Get wisdom.
    Get understanding.
    Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you.
    Love her, and she will keep you.
Wisdom is supreme.
    Get wisdom.
    Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you.
    She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
She will give to your head a garland of grace.
    She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

10 Listen, my son, and receive my sayings.
    The years of your life will be many.
11 I have taught you in the way of wisdom.
    I have led you in straight paths.
12 When you go, your steps will not be hampered.
    When you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction.
    Don’t let her go.
    Keep her, for she is your life.

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A Father’s Example

Listen, sons, to a father’s discipline,(A)
and pay attention so that you may gain understanding,
for I am giving you good instruction.(B)
Don’t abandon my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
tender and precious to my mother,
he taught me and said,
“Your heart must hold on to my words.
Keep my commands and live.(C)
Get wisdom, get understanding;(D)
don’t forget or turn away from the words from my mouth.
Don’t abandon wisdom, and she will watch over you;
love her,(E) and she will guard you.
Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.
And whatever else you get, get understanding.(F)
Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
if you embrace her, she will honor you.(G)
She will place a garland of favor on your head;
she will give you a crown of beauty.”(H)

Two Ways of Life

10 Listen, my son. Accept my words,(I)
and you will live many years.(J)
11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom;
I am guiding you on straight paths.(K)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;(L)
when you run, you will not stumble.(M)
13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.(N)
Guard it, for it is your life.

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20 My son, attend to my words.
    Turn your ear to my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from your eyes.
    Keep them in the center of your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
    and health to their whole body.

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The Straight Path

20 My son, pay attention to my words;
listen closely to my sayings.(A)
21 Don’t lose sight of them;(B)
keep them within your heart.
22 For they are life to those who find them,
and health to one’s whole body.

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My son, pay attention to my wisdom.
    Turn your ear to my understanding,
that you may maintain discretion,
    that your lips may preserve knowledge.

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Avoid Seduction

My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen closely[a] to my understanding(A)
so that you may maintain discretion
and your lips safeguard knowledge.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 5:1 Lit wisdom; stretch out your ear

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment,
    and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching.
21 Bind them continually on your heart.
    Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, it will lead you.
    When you sleep, it will watch over you.
    When you awake, it will talk with you.
23 For the commandment is a lamp,
    and the law is light.
    Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,

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Warning against Adultery

20 My son, keep your father’s command,
and don’t reject your mother’s teaching.(A)
21 Always bind them to your heart;
tie them around your neck.(B)
22 When you walk here and there, they will guide you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
when you wake up, they will talk to you.
23 For a command is a lamp, teaching is a light,(C)
and corrective discipline is the way to life.(D)

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My son, keep my words.
    Lay up my commandments within you.
Keep my commandments and live!
    Guard my teaching as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers.
    Write them on the tablet of your heart.

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My son, obey my words,
and treasure my commands.(A)
Keep my commands and live,(B)
and guard my instructions
as you would the pupil of your eye.(C)
Tie them to your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.(D)

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17 He is in the way of life who heeds correction,
    but he who forsakes reproof leads others astray.

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17 The one who follows instruction is on the path to life,
but the one who rejects correction goes astray.(A)

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16 He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul,
    but he who is contemptuous in his ways shall die.

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16 The one who keeps commands preserves himself;(A)
one who disregards[a] his ways will die.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 19:16 Or despises, or treats lightly

22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
    and don’t despise your mother when she is old.

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22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and don’t despise your mother when[a] she is old.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 23:22 Or because

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked;
    but those who keep the law contend with them.

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Those who reject the law praise the wicked,(A)
but those who keep the law pit themselves against them.(B)

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Whoever keeps the law is a wise son;
    but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

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A discerning son keeps the law,
but a companion of gluttons humiliates his father.(A)

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18 Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint;
    but one who keeps the law is blessed.

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18 Without revelation[a](A) people run wild,(B)
but one who follows divine instruction will be happy.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 29:18 Lit vision