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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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The Enticement of Sinners

(A)Hear, my son, your father's instruction,
    and forsake not your mother's teaching,
for they are (B)a graceful garland for your head
    and (C)pendants for your neck.

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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.

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A Father's Wise Instruction

(A)Hear, O sons, a father's instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may (B)gain[a] insight,
for I give you good (C)precepts;
    do not forsake my teaching.
When I was a son with my father,
    (D)tender, (E)the only one in the sight of my mother,
he (F)taught me and said to me,
(G)“Let your heart hold fast my words;
    (H)keep my commandments, and live.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:1 Hebrew know

10 The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son makes a glad father;
    but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

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The Proverbs of Solomon

10 (A)The proverbs of Solomon.

(B)A wise son makes a glad father,
    (C)but a foolish son is a sorrow to his mother.

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29 He who troubles his own house shall inherit the wind.
    The foolish shall be servant to the wise of heart.

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29 Whoever (A)troubles his own household will (B)inherit the wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.

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20 A wise son makes a father glad,
    but a foolish man despises his mother.

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20 (A)A wise son makes a glad father,
    but a foolish man despises his mother.

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A servant who deals wisely will rule over a son who causes shame,
    and shall have a part in the inheritance among the brothers.

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A servant who deals wisely will rule over (A)a son who acts shamefully
    and (B)will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.

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Children’s children are the crown of old men;
    the glory of children are their parents.

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(A)Grandchildren are (B)the crown of the aged,
    and the glory of children is their fathers.

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21 He who becomes the father of a fool grieves.
    The father of a fool has no joy.

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21 He who (A)sires a fool gets himself sorrow,
    and the father of a fool has no joy.

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25 A foolish son brings grief to his father,
    and bitterness to her who bore him.

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25 (A)A foolish son is a grief to his father
    (B)and bitterness to (C)her who bore him.

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13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father.
    A wife’s quarrels are a continual dripping.

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13 (A)A foolish son is ruin to his father,
    and (B)a wife's quarreling is (C)a continual dripping of rain.

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26 He who robs his father and drives away his mother
    is a son who causes shame and brings reproach.

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26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
    is (A)a son who brings shame and reproach.

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20 Whoever curses his father or his mother,
    his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

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20 (A)If one curses his father or his mother,
    (B)his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.

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