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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The Minor Theme

My son, listen to your father’s instruction,
    and do not let go of your mother’s teaching.
They will be a graceful wreath for your head
    and a chain for your neck.

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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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Diligently Pursue Wisdom

Listen, children,[a] to your father’s instruction,
and pay attention in order to gain understanding.
I give you sound teaching,
so do not abandon my instruction.[b]
When I was a son to my father,
    not yet strong[c] and an only son to my mother,
he taught me and told me,
    “Let your heart fully embrace what I have to say;[d]
        keep my commandments and live!

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:1 Lit. sons
  2. Proverbs 4:2 Or law
  3. Proverbs 4:3 Lit. delicate
  4. Proverbs 4:4 Lit. embrace my words

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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Solomon’s Sayings

10 The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son brings joy to his father,
    but a foolish son grieves his mother.

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

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

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

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21 The man who fathers a fool does so to his sorrow—
    the father of a fool has no joy.

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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 foolish son brings grief to his father
    and bitterness to his mother.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:25 Lit. to the one who bore him

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

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26 Whoever mistreats his father
    and alienates his mother
        is a son who brings both shame and disrespect.

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20 Whoever curses his father or mother(A)
his lamp will go out in deep darkness.(B)

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20 Whoever curses his father or mother,
    his lamp will be extinguished in the deepest darkness.

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11 There is a generation that curses its father
and does not bless its mother.(A)
12 There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes,(B)
yet is not washed from its filth.

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11 Some people[a] curse their fathers
    and won’t bless their mothers.
12 Some people[b] view themselves as pure,
    but haven’t been cleansed from their own filth.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:11 Lit. A generation
  2. Proverbs 30:12 Lit. A generation

17 As for the eye that ridicules a father(A)
and despises obedience to a mother,
may ravens of the valley pluck it out
and young vultures eat it.(B)

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17 The eye that mocks a father
    and looks with a disobedient attitude at[a] a mother—
the valley ravens will pluck it out;
    and vultures will eat it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 30:17 Lit. and despises obedience to