The Enticement of Sinners

(A)Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction,
And (B)do not ignore your mother’s teaching;
For they are a (C)graceful wreath for your head
And (D)necklaces for your neck.

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Avoid evil associations

Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction;
    don’t neglect your mother’s teaching;
        for they are a graceful wreath on your head,
        and beads for your neck.

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A Father’s Instruction

Listen, my sons, to the (A)instruction of a father,
And (B)pay attention so that you may [a]gain understanding,
For I give you good (C)teaching;
(D)Do not abandon my [b]instruction.
When I was a son to my father,
(E)Tender and (F)the only son in the sight of my mother,
He (G)taught me and said to me,
“Let your heart (H)take hold of my words;
(I)Keep my commandments and live;

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:1 Lit know
  2. Proverbs 4:2 Or law

Love wisdom

Hear, children, fatherly instruction;
    pay attention to gain understanding.
I’ll teach you well.
    Don’t abandon my instruction.
When I was a son to my father,
    tender and my mother’s favorite,
    he taught me and said to me:
“Let your heart hold on to my words:
    Keep my commands and live.

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Contrast of the Righteous and the Wicked

10 The (A)proverbs of Solomon.

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

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Proverbs of Solomon

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

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29 One who (A)troubles his own house will (B)inherit wind,
And (C)the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.

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29 Those who trouble their family will inherit the wind.
    The fool will be servant to the wise.

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

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20 A wise child brings joy to a father,
    but fools despise their mothers.

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A servant who acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among brothers.

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An insightful servant rules over a disgraceful son
    and will divide an inheritance
    with the brothers.

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(A)Grandchildren are the crown of the old,
And the (B)glory of sons is their fathers.

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Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
    and the glory of children is their parents.

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21 He who (A)fathers a fool does so to his sorrow,
And the father of a fool has no joy.

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21 Having a fool for a son brings grief;
    there’s no joy for a scoundrel’s father.

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25 A (A)foolish son is a grief to his father,
And (B)bitterness to her who gave birth to him.

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25 A foolish son is irritating to his father
    and bitter to her who gave birth to him.

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13 A (A)foolish son is destruction to his father,
And the (B)quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping.

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13 A foolish son is a disaster to his father;
    a contentious wife is like constant dripping.

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26 He (A)who assaults his father and drives his mother away
Is a shameful and disgraceful son.

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26 Those who assault their father and drive out their mother
    are disgraceful children, worthy of reproach.

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20 He who (A)curses his father or his mother,
His (B)lamp will go out in time of darkness.

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20 Those who curse their father or mother—
    their lamp will be snuffed out when it becomes dark.

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