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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”

My son, hear the instruction of thy father,
And forsake not the [a]law of thy mother:
For they shall be a chaplet of grace unto thy head,
And chains about thy neck.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:8 Or, teaching

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)

My son, forget not my [a]law;
But let thy heart keep my commandments:
For length of days, and years of life,
And peace, will they add to thee.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:1 Or, teaching

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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Hear, my sons, the instruction of a father,
And attend to know understanding:
For I give you good doctrine;
Forsake ye not my [a]law.
For I was a son unto my father,
Tender and [b]only beloved in the sight of my mother.
And he taught me, and said unto me:
Let thy heart retain my words;
Keep my commandments, and live;

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:2 Or, teaching
  2. Proverbs 4:3 Hebrew an only one.

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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10 The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son maketh a glad father;
But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

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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”

22 A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children’s children;
And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the righteous.

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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”

20 A wise son maketh a glad father;
But a foolish man despiseth his mother.

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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”

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

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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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21 He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow;
And the father of a fool hath no joy.

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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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25 A foolish son is a grief to his father,
And bitterness to her that bare him.

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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”

13 A foolish son is the calamity of his father;
And the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping.

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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”

18 Chasten thy son, seeing there is hope;
And set not thy heart on [a]his destruction.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:18 Hebrew causing him to die.

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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26 He that doeth violence to his father, and chaseth away his mother,
Is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach.

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

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A righteous man that walketh in his integrity,
Blessed are his children after him.

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