Proverbs 19:27
New International Version
Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

New Living Translation
If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge.

English Standard Version
Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Berean Standard Bible
If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

King James Bible
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

New King James Version
Cease listening to instruction, my son, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

New American Standard Bible
Stop listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

NASB 1995
Cease listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

NASB 1977
Cease listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Legacy Standard Bible
Cease listening, my son, to discipline, And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Amplified Bible
Cease listening, my son, to instruction and discipline And you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Christian Standard Bible
If you stop listening to correction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If you stop listening to correction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

American Standard Version
Cease, my son, to hear instruction Only to err from the words of knowledge.

Contemporary English Version
If you stop learning, you will forget what you already know.

English Revised Version
Cease, my son, to hear instruction only to err from the words of knowledge.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Good News Translation
My child, when you stop learning, you will soon neglect what you already know.

International Standard Version
My son, if you stop listening to instruction, you will stray from the principles of knowledge.

Majority Standard Bible
If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

NET Bible
If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

New Heart English Bible
If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Webster's Bible Translation
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

World English Bible
If you stop listening to instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Cease, my son, to hear instruction—To err from sayings of knowledge.

Young's Literal Translation
Cease, my son, to hear instruction -- To err from sayings of knowledge.

Smith's Literal Translation
Cease, my son, to hear instructions for erring from the words of knowledge.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Cease not, O my son, to hear instruction, and be not ignorant of the words of knowledge.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Son, do not cease listening to doctrine, and do not be ignorant of the sermons of knowledge.

New American Bible
My son, stop attending to correction; start straying from words of knowledge.

New Revised Standard Version
Cease straying, my child, from the words of knowledge, in order that you may hear instruction.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Wait, my son, and hear the instruction, and do not forget the words of knowledge.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Stop, my son, and hear instruction, and do not forget the speech of knowledge.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction That causeth to err from the words of knowledge.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
A son who ceases to attend to the instruction of a father will cherish evil designs.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Man of Integrity
26He who assaults his father or evicts his mother is a son who brings shame and disgrace. 27If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge. 28A corrupt witness mocks justice, and a wicked mouth swallows iniquity.…

Cross References
James 1:22-25
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. / For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ...

2 Timothy 4:3-4
For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires. / So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Hebrews 5:11-14
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing. / Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word. You need milk, not solid food! / For everyone who lives on milk is still an infant, inexperienced in the message of righteousness. ...

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. / But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ...

2 Peter 2:1-3
Now there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. / Many will follow in their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be defamed. / In their greed, these false teachers will exploit you with deceptive words. The longstanding verdict against them remains in force, and their destruction does not sleep.

1 Timothy 4:1-2
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons, / influenced by the hypocrisy of liars, whose consciences are seared with a hot iron.

Romans 1:28-32
Furthermore, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, He gave them up to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. / They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, / slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful. They invent new forms of evil; they disobey their parents. ...

2 Thessalonians 2:10-12
and with every wicked deception directed against those who are perishing, because they refused the love of the truth that would have saved them. / For this reason God will send them a powerful delusion so that they believe the lie, / in order that judgment may come upon all who have disbelieved the truth and delighted in wickedness.

1 John 4:6
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.

Ephesians 4:17-19
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. / They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts. / Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.

Isaiah 30:9-11
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction. / They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions. / Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”

Jeremiah 6:16-19
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths: ‘Where is the good way?’ Then walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it!’ / I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen for the sound of the ram’s horn.’ But they answered, ‘We will not listen!’ / Therefore hear, O nations, and learn, O congregations, what will happen to them. ...

Hosea 4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you as My priests. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.

Amos 8:11-12
Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord GOD, when I will send a famine on the land—not a famine of bread or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD. / People will stagger from sea to sea and roam from north to east, seeking the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.

Zechariah 7:11-12
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing. / They made their hearts like flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the LORD of Hosts had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. Therefore great anger came from the LORD of Hosts.


Treasury of Scripture

Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causes to err from the words of knowledge.

Proverbs 14:7
Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

Deuteronomy 13:1-4
If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, …

1 Kings 22:22-28
And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so…

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Proverbs 19
1. Life and Conduct














If you cease to hear instruction
The Hebrew root for "instruction" is "mûsār," which often implies discipline or correction. In the ancient Near Eastern context, instruction was not merely academic but was deeply tied to moral and spiritual formation. The phrase suggests a deliberate choice to stop listening, which is a warning against complacency. In a conservative Christian perspective, this highlights the importance of continual engagement with God's Word and the teachings of the Church. The act of ceasing to hear is akin to turning away from the path of righteousness, emphasizing the necessity of perseverance in faith and learning.

my son
This phrase is a common address in the book of Proverbs, indicating a personal and intimate relationship between the speaker, often seen as a father or a wise teacher, and the listener. It reflects the familial and covenantal nature of God's relationship with His people. In a broader sense, it can be seen as God addressing His children, urging them to heed His wisdom. The use of "my son" underscores the loving concern and authority of the speaker, reminding believers of their identity as children of God and the responsibility that comes with it.

you will stray
The Hebrew word for "stray" is "tāʿāh," which conveys the idea of wandering or going astray. This term is often used in the context of sheep that have left the safety of the flock, illustrating the vulnerability and danger of departing from divine guidance. In the biblical narrative, straying is frequently associated with sin and disobedience. From a conservative Christian viewpoint, this serves as a caution against the spiritual peril of neglecting God's instruction, emphasizing the need for vigilance and adherence to the truth.

from the words of knowledge
"Words of knowledge" refers to divine wisdom and understanding, which are foundational to living a life that honors God. The Hebrew term for "knowledge" is "daʿat," which encompasses not only intellectual understanding but also experiential and relational knowledge of God. In the scriptural context, knowledge is closely linked to the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7). This phrase highlights the consequence of abandoning instruction: a departure from the truth and wisdom that guide righteous living. For conservative Christians, it underscores the importance of Scripture as the ultimate source of knowledge and the necessity of remaining rooted in biblical truth to navigate life's challenges.

(27) Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err . . .--Or the passage may mean, Cease to hear instruction if you are only going to err afterwards--Make up your mind what you are intending to do hereafter, and act now accordingly; better not know the truth than learn it only to desert it. (Comp. 2Peter 2:21.)

Verse 27. - Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. This version fairly represents the terse original, if musar, "instruction," be taken in a bad sense, like the "profane and vain babblings and oppositions of the knowledge which is falsely so called," censured by St. Paul (1 Timothy 6:20). But as musar is used in a good sense throughout this book, it is better to regard the injunction as warning against listening to wise teaching with no intention of profiting by it: "Cease to hear instruction in order to err," etc.; i.e. if you are only going to continue your evil doings. You will only increase your guilt by knowing the way of righteousness perfectly, while you refuse to walk therein. The Vulgate inserts a negation, "Cease not to hear doctrine, and be not ignorant of the war, is of knowledge;" Septuagint, "A son who fails to keep the instruction of his father will meditate evil sayings." Solomon's son Rehoboam greatly needed the admonition contained in this verse.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
If you cease
חַֽדַל־ (ḥa·ḏal-)
Verb - Qal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 2308: To be flabby, desist, be lacking, idle

to hear
לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ (liš·mō·a‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

instruction,
מוּסָ֑ר (mū·sār)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4148: Chastisement, reproof, warning, instruction, restraint

my son,
בְּ֭נִי‪‬ (bə·nî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1121: A son

you will stray
לִ֝שְׁג֗וֹת (liš·ḡō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 7686: To stray, to mistake, to transgress, to reel, be enraptured

from the words
מֵֽאִמְרֵי־ (mê·’im·rê-)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 561: Something said

of knowledge.
דָֽעַת׃ (ḏā·‘aṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1847: Knowledge


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 19:27 If you stop listening to instruction my (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 19:26
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