Common English Bible CEB
New Revised Standard NRS
1 Hear, children, fatherly instruction; pay attention to gain understanding.
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Listen, children, to a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight;
2 I'll teach you well. Don't abandon my instruction.
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for I give you good precepts: do not forsake my teaching.
3 When I was a son to my father, tender and my mother's favorite,
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When I was a son with my father, tender, and my mother's favorite,
4 he taught me and said to me: "Let your heart hold on to my words: Keep my commands and live.
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he taught me, and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live.
5 Get wisdom; get understanding. Don't forget and don't turn away from my words.
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Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Don't abandon her, and she will guard you. Love her, and she will protect you.
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Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you.
7 The beginning of wisdom: Get wisdom! Get understanding before anything else.
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The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever else you get, get insight.
8 Highly esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will honor you if you embrace her.
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Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her.
9 She will place a graceful wreath on your head; she will give you a glorious crown."
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She will place on your head a fair garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown."
10 Listen, my son, and take in my speech, then the years of your life will be many.
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Hear, my child, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many.
11 I teach you the path of wisdom. I lead you in straight courses.
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I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, you won't be hindered; when you run, you won't stumble.
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When you walk, your step will not be hampered; and if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction; don't slack off; protect it, for it is your life.
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Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life.
14 Don't go on the way of the wicked; don't walk on the path of evil people.
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Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evildoers.
15 Avoid it! Don't turn onto it; stay off of it and keep going!
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Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on.
16 They don't sleep unless they do evil; they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
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For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of evil, and they drink the wine of violence.
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For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
18 The way of the righteous is like morning light that gets brighter and brighter till it is full day.
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But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
19 The path of the wicked is like deep darkness; they don't know where they will stumble.
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The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what they stumble over.
20 My son, pay attention to my words. Bend your ear to my speech.
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My child, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Don't let them slip from your sight. Guard them in your mind.
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Do not let them escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.
22 They are life to those who find them, and healing for their entire body.
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For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.
23 More than anything you guard, protect your mind, for life flows from it.
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Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
24 Have nothing to do with a corrupt mouth; keep devious lips far from you.
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Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.
25 Focus your eyes straight ahead; keep your gaze on what is in front of you.
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Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.
26 Watch your feet on the way, and all your paths will be secure.
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Keep straight the path of your feet, and all your ways will be sure.
27 Don't deviate a bit to the right or the left; turn your feet away from evil.
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Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.