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 grace on your head
and a gold chain around your neck.(C)

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Lecture Against Gang Behavior

My child, may you keep[a] your father’s instruction,
    and do not reject your mother’s teachings,
for they are a garland of favor for your head,
    and pendants for your neck.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:8 Or “obey,” or “hear”

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. Proverbs 3:2 Lit days, years of life

Wisdom and Piety

My child, do not forget my instruction,
    and may your heart guard my commands.
For length of days, years of life,
    and peace they[a] shall add to you.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:2 That is, “my commands” (3:1)

A Father’s Example

Listen, my 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)

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The Father’s Wisdom

Children, listen to the instruction of a father,
    and be attentive in order to know insight.
For I have given you good instruction;
    do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son to my father,
    tender and alone before my mother,
he taught me and said to me,
    “May your heart hold fast to my words;
    guard my commandments and live.

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A Collection of Solomon’s Proverbs

10 Solomon’s proverbs:(A)

A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish son, heartache to his mother.(B)

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Proverbs of Solomon

10 The proverbs of Solomon:
A wise child makes a father glad,
    but a foolish child grieves his mother.

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22 A good man leaves an inheritance to his[a] grandchildren,
but the sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:22 Or inheritance: his

22 He who is good will leave an inheritance to his grandchildren,[a]
    and stored up for the righteous is the wealth of a sinner.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:22 Literally “sons of sons”

20 A wise son brings joy to his father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.(A)

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20 A child of wisdom will make a father glad,
    but a foolish person,[a] he despises his mother.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:20 Literally “foolishness of humankind”

Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of sons is their fathers.

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The crown of the elderly are grandchildren,[a]
    and the glory of children is their fathers.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:6 Literally “sons of sons”

21 A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy.(A)

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21 He who begets a fool, there is trouble for him;
    the father of a fool will not rejoice.

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25 A foolish son is grief to his father
and bitterness to the one who bore him.(A)

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25 A grief to his father is the child of a fool,
    and bitterness to her who bore him.

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13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin,(A)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.(B)

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13 A foolish child is a ruin to his father,
    and the quarreling of a woman[a] is a continuous dripping.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:13 Or “wife”

18 Discipline your son while there is hope;
don’t be intent on killing him.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:18 Lit don’t lift up your soul to his death

18 Discipline your child, for there is hope,
    but on his destruction do not set your desire.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:18 Or “soul,” or “inner self”

26 The one who assaults his father and evicts his mother
is a disgraceful and shameful son.

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26 He who does violence to a father, he who chases away a mother,
    is a child who causes shame and brings reproach.

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The one who lives with integrity is righteous;(A)
his children[a] who come after him will be happy.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:7 Lit sons

He who walks in his integrity is righteous;
    happy are his children who follow him.

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