| New King James Version | King James Bible |
| 1Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; | 1Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. |
| 2For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law. | 2For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. |
| 3When I was my father’s son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, | 3For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. |
| 4He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. | 4He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live. |
| 5Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. | 5Get wisdom, get understanding: forget it not; neither decline from the words of my mouth. |
| 6Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. | 6Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. |
| 7Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding. | 7Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. |
| 8Exalt her, and she will promote you; She will bring you honor, when you embrace her. | 8Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honour, when thou dost embrace her. |
| 9She will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory she will deliver to you.” | 9She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace: a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee. |
| 10Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many. | 10Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many. |
| 11I have taught you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in right paths. | 11I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. |
| 12When you walk, your steps will not be hindered, And when you run, you will not stumble. | 12When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. |
| 13Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go; Keep her, for she is your life. | 13Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life. |
| 14Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil. | 14Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. |
| 15Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on. | 15Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away. |
| 16For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; And their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. | 16For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. |
| 17For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence. | 17For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. |
| 18But the path of the just is like the shining sun, That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. | 18But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. |
| 19The way of the wicked is like darkness; They do not know what makes them stumble. | 19The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. |
| 20My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. | 20My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. |
| 21Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; | 21Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. |
| 22For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. | 22For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh. |
| 23Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life. | 23Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. |
| 24Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put perverse lips far from you. | 24Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. |
| 25Let your eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look right before you. | 25Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee. |
| 26Ponder the path of your feet, And let all your ways be established. | 26Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. |
| 27Do not turn to the right or the left; Remove your foot from evil. | 27Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil. |
| The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. | King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com. |
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