New International Version NIV
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart,
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My son! my law forget not, And my commands let thy heart keep,
2 for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity.
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For length of days and years, Life and peace they do add to thee.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
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Let not kindness and truth forsake thee, Bind them on thy neck, Write them on the tablet of thy heart,
4 Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man.
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And find grace and good understanding In the eyes of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
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Trust unto Jehovah with all thy heart, And unto thine own understanding lean not.
6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
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In all thy ways know thou Him, And He doth make straight thy paths.
7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
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Be not wise in thine own eyes, Fear Jehovah, and turn aside from evil.
8 This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.
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Healing it is to thy navel, And moistening to thy bones.
9 Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
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Honour Jehovah from thy substance, And from the beginning of all thine increase;
10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.
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And filled are thy barns [with] plenty, And [with] new wine thy presses break forth.
11 My son, do not despise the LORD’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,
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Chastisement of Jehovah, my son, despise not, And be not vexed with His reproof,
12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
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For whom Jehovah loveth He reproveth, Even as a father the son He is pleased with.
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,
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O the happiness of a man [who] hath found wisdom, And of a man [who] bringeth forth understanding.
14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
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For better [is] her merchandise Than the merchandise of silver, And than gold -- her increase.
15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.
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Precious she [is] above rubies, And all thy pleasures are not comparable to her.
16 Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor.
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Length of days [is] in her right hand, In her left [are] wealth and honour.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.
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Her ways [are] ways of pleasantness, And all her paths [are] peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.
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A tree of life she [is] to those laying hold on her, And whoso is retaining her [is] happy.
19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place;
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Jehovah by wisdom did found the earth, He prepared the heavens by understanding.
20 by his knowledge the watery depths were divided, and the clouds let drop the dew.
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By His knowledge depths have been rent, And clouds do drop dew.
21 My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion;
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My son! let them not turn from thine eyes, Keep thou wisdom and thoughtfulness,
22 they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck.
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And they are life to thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble.
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Then thou goest thy way confidently, And thy foot doth not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
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If thou liest down, thou art not afraid, Yea, thou hast lain down, And sweet hath been thy sleep.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
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Be not afraid of sudden fear, And of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh.
26 for the LORD will be at your side and will keep your foot from being snared.
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For Jehovah is at thy side, And He hath kept thy foot from capture.
27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.
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Withhold not good from its owners, When thy hand [is] toward God to do [it].
28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”— when you already have it with you.
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Say not thou to thy friend, `Go, and return, and to-morrow I give,' And substance with thee.
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.
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Devise not against thy neighbour evil, And he sitting confidently with thee.
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason— when they have done you no harm.
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Strive not with a man without cause, If he have not done thee evil.
31 Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways.
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Be not envious of a man of violence, Nor fix thou on any of his ways.
32 For the LORD detests the perverse but takes the upright into his confidence.
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For an abomination to Jehovah [is] the perverted, And with the upright [is] His secret counsel.
33 The LORD’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.
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The curse of Jehovah [is] in the house of the wicked. And the habitation of the righteous He blesseth.
34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.
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If the scorners He doth scorn, Yet to the humble He doth give grace.
35 The wise inherit honor, but fools get only shame.
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Honour do the wise inherit, And fools are bearing away shame!
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.