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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)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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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 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

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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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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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 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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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 father glad,
But a foolish man (B)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 acts wisely will rule over a son who acts shamefully,
And will share in the inheritance among 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 the crown of the old,
And the (B)glory of sons 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)fathers a fool does so to his 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,
And (B)bitterness to her who gave birth to 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 destruction to his father,
And the (B)quarrels of a wife are a constant dripping.

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

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

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