New Living Translation NLT
Young's Literal Translation YLT
1 My children, listen when your father corrects you. Pay attention and learn good judgment,
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Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
2 for I am giving you good guidance. Don’t turn away from my instructions.
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For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
3 For I, too, was once my father’s son, tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.
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For, a son I have been to my father -- tender, And an only one before my mother.
4 My father taught me, “Take my words to heart. Follow my commands, and you will live.
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And he directeth me, and he saith to me: `Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
5 Get wisdom; develop good judgment. Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
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Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
6 Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you.
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Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
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The first thing [is] wisdom -- get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
8 If you prize wisdom, she will make you great. Embrace her, and she will honor you.
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Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
9 She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown.”
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She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
10 My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.
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Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life [are] multiplied to thee.
11 I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths.
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In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
12 When you walk, you won’t be held back; when you run, you won’t stumble.
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In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
13 Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.
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Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she [is] thy life.
14 Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
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Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.
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Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
16 For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
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For they sleep not if they do not evil, And their sleep hath been taken violently away, If they cause not [some] to stumble.
17 They eat the food of wickedness and drink the wine of violence!
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For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.
18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
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And the path of the righteous [is] as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,
19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
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The way of the wicked [is] as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
20 My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words.
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My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
21 Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
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Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.
22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.
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For life they [are] to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.
23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.
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Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it [are] the outgoings of life.
24 Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech.
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Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
25 Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
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Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.
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Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways [are] established.
27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.
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Incline not [to] the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Young's Literal Translation is in the public domain.