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Proverbs 4
New King James Version
Proverbs 4
New King James Version
Security in Wisdom
4 Hear, (A)my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father’s son,
(B)Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 (C)He also taught me, and said to me:
“Let your heart retain my words;
(D)Keep my commands, and live.
5 (E)Get wisdom! Get understanding!
Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.
6 Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you;
(F)Love her, and she will keep you.
7 (G)Wisdom is the principal thing;
Therefore get wisdom.
And in all your getting, get understanding.
8 (H)Exalt her, and she will promote you;
She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.
9 She will place on your head (I)an ornament of grace;
A crown of glory she will deliver to you.”
10 Hear, my son, and receive my sayings,
(J)And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have (K)taught you in the way of wisdom;
I have led you in right paths.
12 When you walk, (L)your steps will not be hindered,
(M)And when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take firm hold of instruction, do not let go;
Keep her, for she is your life.
14 (N)Do not enter the path of the wicked,
And do not walk in the way of evil.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 (O)For they do not sleep unless they have done evil;
And their sleep is [a]taken away unless they make someone fall.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 (P)But the path of the just (Q)is like the shining [b]sun,
That shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
19 (R)The way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know what makes them stumble.
20 My son, give attention to my words;
Incline your ear to my sayings.
21 Do not let them depart from your eyes;
Keep them in the midst of your heart;
22 For they are life to those who find them,
And health to all their flesh.
23 Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of (S)life.
24 Put away from you a [c]deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
26 Ponder the path of your (T)feet,
And let all your ways be established.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:16 Lit. robbed
- Proverbs 4:18 Lit. light
- Proverbs 4:24 devious
Proverbs 4
New International Version
Proverbs 4
New International Version
Get Wisdom at Any Cost
4 Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
pay attention and gain understanding.(C)
2 I give you sound learning,
so do not forsake my teaching.
3 For I too was a son to my father,
still tender, and cherished by my mother.
4 Then he taught me, and he said to me,
“Take hold(D) of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands, and you will live.(E)
5 Get wisdom,(F) get understanding;
do not forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you;(G)
love her, and she will watch over you.(H)
7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get[a] wisdom.
Though it cost all(I) you have,[b] get understanding.(J)
8 Cherish her, and she will exalt you;
embrace her, and she will honor you.(K)
9 She will give you a garland to grace your head
and present you with a glorious crown.(L)”
10 Listen, my son,(M) accept what I say,
and the years of your life will be many.(N)
11 I instruct(O) you in the way of wisdom
and lead you along straight paths.(P)
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
when you run, you will not stumble.(Q)
13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
guard it well, for it is your life.(R)
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evildoers.(S)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(T)
they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.(U)
18 The path of the righteous(V) is like the morning sun,(W)
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(X)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(Y)
they do not know what makes them stumble.(Z)
20 My son,(AA) pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.(AB)
21 Do not let them out of your sight,(AC)
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.(AD)
23 Above all else, guard(AE) your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.(AF)
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes(AG) look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the[c] paths for your feet(AH)
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;(AI)
keep your foot from evil.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 4:7 Or Wisdom is supreme; therefore get
- Proverbs 4:7 Or wisdom. / Whatever else you get
- Proverbs 4:26 Or Make level
Psalm 13-16
New King James Version
Psalm 13-16
New King James Version
Trust in the Salvation of the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
(A)How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
(B)Enlighten my eyes,
(C)Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
4 Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
5 But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph(D)
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
14 The (E)fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.
2 (F)The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
3 (G)They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.
4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And (H)do not call on the Lord?
5 There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
6 You shame the counsel of the poor,
But the Lord is his (I)refuge.
7 (J)Oh,[a] that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
(K)When the Lord brings back [b]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.
The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord
A Psalm of David.
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the (M)truth in his heart;
3 He who (N)does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
(O)Nor does he [d]take up a reproach against his friend;
4 (P)In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who (Q)swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things (R)shall never be moved.
The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory
A (S)Michtam of David.
16 Preserve[e] me, O God, for in You I put my trust.
2 O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
(T)My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
3 As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in (U)whom is all my delight.”
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of (V)blood I will not offer,
(W)Nor take up their names on my lips.
5 O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You [f]maintain my lot.
6 The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.
7 I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My [g]heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 (X)I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will [h]rest in hope.
10 (Y)For You will not leave my soul in [i]Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to [j]see corruption.
11 You will show me the (Z)path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Footnotes
- Psalm 14:7 Lit. Who will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel?
- Psalm 14:7 Or His captive people
- Psalm 15:1 sojourn
- Psalm 15:3 receive
- Psalm 16:1 Watch over
- Psalm 16:5 Lit. uphold
- Psalm 16:7 Mind, lit. kidneys
- Psalm 16:9 Or dwell securely
- Psalm 16:10 The abode of the dead
- Psalm 16:10 undergo
Psalm 13-16
New International Version
Psalm 13-16
New International Version
Psalm 13[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 How long,(A) Lord? Will you forget me(B) forever?
How long will you hide your face(C) from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts(D)
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?(E)
3 Look on me(F) and answer,(G) Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes,(H) or I will sleep in death,(I)
4 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,(J)”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.(K)
5 But I trust in your unfailing love;(L)
my heart rejoices in your salvation.(M)
6 I will sing(N) the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.
Psalm 14(O)
For the director of music. Of David.
1 The fool[b] says in his heart,
“There is no God.”(P)
They are corrupt, their deeds are vile;
there is no one who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven(Q)
on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(R)
any who seek God.(S)
3 All have turned away,(T) all have become corrupt;(U)
there is no one who does good,(V)
not even one.(W)
4 Do all these evildoers know nothing?(X)
They devour my people(Y) as though eating bread;
they never call on the Lord.(Z)
5 But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
for God is present in the company of the righteous.
6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor,
but the Lord is their refuge.(AA)
7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!(AB)
When the Lord restores(AC) his people,
let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!
Psalm 15
A psalm of David.
2 The one whose walk is blameless,(AG)
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth(AH) from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,(AI)
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
but honors(AJ) those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath(AK) even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;(AL)
who does not accept a bribe(AM) against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.(AN)
Psalm 16
A miktam[c] of David.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;(AQ)
apart from you I have no good thing.”(AR)
3 I say of the holy people(AS) who are in the land,(AT)
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods(AU) will suffer(AV) more and more.
I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names(AW) on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion(AX) and my cup;(AY)
you make my lot(AZ) secure.
6 The boundary lines(BA) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.(BB)
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;(BC)
even at night(BD) my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With him at my right hand,(BE) I will not be shaken.(BF)
9 Therefore my heart is glad(BG) and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,(BH)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,(BI)
nor will you let your faithful[d] one(BJ) see decay.(BK)
11 You make known to me the path of life;(BL)
you will fill me with joy in your presence,(BM)
with eternal pleasures(BN) at your right hand.(BO)
Footnotes
- Psalm 13:1 In Hebrew texts 13:1-6 is numbered 13:2-6.
- Psalm 14:1 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.
- Psalm 16:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
- Psalm 16:10 Or holy
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.