Proverbs 4 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Proverbs 4 (WEBP)

[1] Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction. Pay attention and know understanding;
[2] for I give you sound learning. Don’t forsake my law.
[3] For I was a son to my father, tender and an only child in the sight of my mother.
[4] He taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words. Keep my commandments, and live.
[5] Get wisdom. Get understanding. Don’t forget, and don’t deviate from the words of my mouth.
[6] Don’t forsake her, and she will preserve you. Love her, and she will keep you.
[7] Wisdom is supreme. Get wisdom. Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
[8] Esteem her, and she will exalt you. She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
[9] She will give to your head a garland of grace. She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”
[10] Listen, my son, and receive my sayings. The years of your life will be many.
[11] I have taught you in the way of wisdom. I have led you in straight paths.
[12] When you go, your steps will not be hampered. When you run, you will not stumble.
[13] Take firm hold of instruction. Don’t let her go. Keep her, for she is your life.
[14] Don’t enter into the path of the wicked. Don’t walk in the way of evil men.
[15] Avoid it, and don’t pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.
[16] For they don’t sleep unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.
[17] For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.
[18] But the path of the righteous is like the dawning light that shines more and more until the perfect day.
[19] The way of the wicked is like darkness. They don’t know what they stumble over.
[20] My son, attend to my words. Turn your ear to my sayings.
[21] Let them not depart from your eyes. Keep them in the center of your heart.
[22] For they are life to those who find them, and health to their whole body.
[23] Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
[24] Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.
[25] Let your eyes look straight ahead. Fix your gaze directly before you.
[26] Make the path of your feet level. Let all of your ways be established.
[27] Don’t turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Proverbs 4 (KJVS)

[1] Hear (), ye children , the instruction of a father , and attend () to know () understanding .
[2] For I give () you good doctrine , forsake () ye not my law .
[3] For I was my father’s son , tender and only [beloved] in the sight of my mother .
[4] He taught () me also, and said () unto me, Let thine heart retain () my words : keep () my commandments , and live ().
[5] Get () wisdom , get () understanding : forget () [it] not; neither decline () from the words of my mouth .
[6] Forsake () her not, and she shall preserve () thee: love () her, and she shall keep () thee.
[7] Wisdom [is] the principal thing ; [therefore] get () wisdom : and with all thy getting get understanding .
[8] Exalt () her, and she shall promote () thee: she shall bring thee to honour (), when thou dost embrace () her.
[9] She shall give () to thine head an ornament of grace : a crown of glory shall she deliver () to thee.
[10] Hear (), O my son , and receive () my sayings ; and the years of thy life shall be many ().
[11] I have taught () thee in the way of wisdom ; I have led () thee in right paths .
[12] When thou goest (), thy steps shall not be straitened (); and when thou runnest (), thou shalt not stumble ().
[13] Take fast hold () of instruction ; let [her] not go (): keep () her; for she [is] thy life .
[14] Enter () not into the path of the wicked , and go () not in the way of evil [men].
[15] Avoid () it, pass () not by it, turn () from it, and pass away ().
[16] For they sleep () not, except they have done mischief (); and their sleep is taken away (), unless they cause [some] to fall () (8675) ().
[17] For they eat () the bread of wickedness , and drink () the wine of violence .
[18] But the path of the just [is] as the shining light , that shineth () more () and more unto the perfect () day .
[19] The way of the wicked [is] as darkness : they know () not at what they stumble ().
[20] My son , attend () to my words ; incline () thine ear unto my sayings .
[21] Let them not depart () from thine eyes ; keep () them in the midst of thine heart .
[22] For they [are] life unto those that find () them, and health to all their flesh .
[23] Keep () thy heart with all diligence ; for out of it [are] the issues of life .
[24] Put away () from thee a froward mouth , and perverse lips put far () from thee.
[25] Let thine eyes look () right on , and let thine eyelids look straight () before thee.
[26] Ponder () the path of thy feet , and let all thy ways be established ().
[27] Turn () not to the right hand nor to the left : remove () thy foot from evil .

Young’s Literal Translation

Proverbs 4 (YLT)

[1] Hear, ye sons, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding.
[2] For good learning I have given to you, My law forsake not.
[3] For, a son I have been to my father-tender, And an only one before my mother.
[4] And he directeth me, and he saith to me: ‘Let thy heart retain my words, Keep my commands, and live.
[5] Get wisdom, get understanding, Do not forget, nor turn away From the sayings of my mouth.
[6] Forsake her not, and she doth preserve thee, Love her, and she doth keep thee.
[7] The first thing is wisdom-get wisdom, And with all thy getting get understanding.
[8] Exalt her, and she doth lift thee up, She honoureth thee, when thou dost embrace her.
[9] She giveth to thy head a wreath of grace, A crown of beauty she doth give thee freely.
[10] Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And years of life are multiplied to thee.
[11] In a way of wisdom I have directed thee, I have caused thee to tread in paths of uprightness.
[12] In thy walking thy step is not straitened, And if thou runnest, thou stumblest not.
[13] Lay hold on instruction, do not desist, Keep her, for she is thy life.
[14] Into the path of the wicked enter not, And be not happy in a way of evil doers.
[15] Avoid it, pass not over into it, Turn aside from it, and pass on.
[16] 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] For they have eaten bread of wickedness, And wine of violence they drink.
[18] And the path of the righteous is as a shining light, Going and brightening till the day is established,
[19] The way of the wicked is as darkness, They have not known at what they stumble.
[20] My son, to my words give attention, To my sayings incline thine ear,
[21] Let them not turn aside from thine eyes, Preserve them in the midst of thy heart.
[22] For life they are to those finding them, And to all their flesh healing.
[23] Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it are the outgoings of life.
[24] Turn aside from thee a froward mouth, And perverse lips put far from thee,
[25] Thine eyes do look straightforward, And thine eyelids look straight before thee.
[26] Ponder thou the path of thy feet, And all thy ways are established.
[27] Incline not to the right or to the left, Turn aside thy foot from evil!