| NET Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1Listen, children, to a father's instruction, and pay attention so that you may gain discernment. | 1Listen, children, to your father's instruction, and pay attention in order to gain understanding. |
| 2Because I give you good instruction, do not forsake my teaching. | 2I give you sound teaching, so do not abandon my instruction. |
| 3When I was a son to my father, a tender only child before my mother, | 3When I was a son to my father, not yet strong and an only son to my mother, |
| 4he taught me, and he said to me: "Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands so that you will live. | 4he taught me and told me, "Let your heart fully embrace what I have to say; keep my commandments and live! |
| 5Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding; do not forget and do not turn aside from the words I speak. | 5Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget or turn aside from the words of my mouth! |
| 6Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will guard you. | 6Do not abandon her, and she will protect you. Love her, and she will watch over you. |
| 7Wisdom is supreme--so acquire wisdom, and whatever you acquire, acquire understanding! | 7Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom, and with all your effort work to acquire understanding. |
| 8Esteem her highly and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. | 8Prize her and she will exalt you. Indeed, if you embrace her, she will honor you. |
| 9She will place a fair garland on your head; she will bestow a beautiful crown on you." | 9She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will present to you a crown of beauty." |
| 10Listen, my child, and accept my words, so that the years of your life will be many. | 10Listen, my son: accept my words, and you'll live a long, long time. |
| 11I will guide you in the way of wisdom and I will lead you in upright paths. | 11I have directed you in the way of wisdom, and I have led you along straight paths. |
| 12When you walk, your steps will not be hampered, and when you run, you will not stumble. | 12When you walk, your step will not be hindered, and when you run, you will not stumble. |
| 13Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; protect it, because it is your life. | 13Hold on to instruction, do not let it go! Guard wisdom, because she is your life! |
| 14Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of those who are evil. | 14Do not enter the path of the wicked, or go along the way of evil men. |
| 15Avoid it, do not go on it; turn away from it, and go on. | 15Avoid it! Don't travel on it! Turn away from it, and pass on by. |
| 16For they cannot sleep unless they cause harm; they are robbed of sleep until they make someone stumble. | 16For they cannot sleep unless they are doing evil, and they are robbed of their sleep unless they cause someone to stumble. |
| 17For they eat bread gained from wickedness and drink wine obtained from violence. | 17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and they drink the wine of violence. |
| 18But the path of the righteous is like the bright morning light, growing brighter and brighter until full day. | 18The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that grows brighter until the full light of day. |
| 19The way of the wicked is like gloomy darkness; they do not know what causes them to stumble. | 19But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness, and they do not know what they are stumbling over. |
| 20My child, pay attention to my words; listen attentively to my sayings. | 20My son, pay attention to my words, and listen closely to what I say. |
| 21Do not let them depart from your sight, guard them within your heart; | 21Do not let them out of your sight; keep them within your heart. |
| 22for they are life to those who find them and healing to one's entire body. | 22For they are life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body. |
| 23Guard your heart with all vigilance, for from it are the sources of life. | 23Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life. |
| 24Remove perverse speech from your mouth; keep devious talk far from your lips. | 24Never talk deceptively and don't keep company with people whose speech is corrupt. |
| 25Let your eyes look directly in front of you and let your gaze look straight before you. | 25Let your eyes look directly ahead; fix your gaze straight in front of you. |
| 26Make the path for your feet level, so that all your ways may be established. | 26Carefully measure the paths for your feet, and all your ways will be established. |
| 27Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn yourself away from evil. | 27Do not turn to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. |
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