Proverbs 5:13
New International Version
I would not obey my teachers or turn my ear to my instructors.

New Living Translation
Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?

English Standard Version
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.

Berean Standard Bible
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.

King James Bible
And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

New King James Version
I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me!

New American Standard Bible
“I did not listen to the voice of my teachers, Nor incline my ear to my instructors!

NASB 1995
“I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!

NASB 1977
“And I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined my ear to my instructors!

Legacy Standard Bible
I have not listened to the voice of my instructors, And I have not inclined my ear to my teachers!

Amplified Bible
“I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, Nor have I inclined my ear to those who instructed me.

Christian Standard Bible
I didn’t obey my teachers or listen closely to my instructors.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
I didn’t obey my teachers or listen closely to my mentors.

American Standard Version
Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

Contemporary English Version
I paid no attention to my teachers,

English Revised Version
Neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I didn't listen to what my teachers said to me, nor did I keep my ear open to my instructors.

Good News Translation
I wouldn't listen to my teachers. I paid no attention to them.

International Standard Version
I did not obey my teachers and did not listen to my instructors.

Majority Standard Bible
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors.

NET Bible
For I did not obey my teachers and I did not heed my instructors.

New Heart English Bible
neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me.

Webster's Bible Translation
And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me!

World English Bible
I haven’t obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, "" And have not inclined my ear to my teachers.

Young's Literal Translation
And I have not hearkened to the voice of my directors, And to my teachers have not inclined mine ear.

Smith's Literal Translation
And I heard not to the voice of him teaching me, and I inclined not mine ear to him instructing me.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And have not heard the voice of them that taught me, and have not in- dined my ear to masters?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And why have I not listened to the voice of those who guided me? And why has my ear not inclined to my teachers?

New American Bible
Why did I not listen to the voice of my teachers, incline my ear to my instructors!

New Revised Standard Version
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my instructors.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And why have I not obeyed the voice of my teacher, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I have not listened to the voice of my teachers, and to my instructors have not turned my ear?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Neither have I hearkened to the voice of my teachers, Nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

Brenton Septuagint Translation
I heard not the voice of him that instructed me, and taught me, neither did I apply mine ear.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Avoiding Immorality
12and you will say, “How I hated discipline, and my heart despised reproof! 13I did not listen to the voice of my teachers or incline my ear to my mentors. 14I am on the brink of utter ruin in the midst of the whole assembly.”…

Cross References
Proverbs 1:24-25
Because you refused my call, and no one took my outstretched hand, / because you neglected all my counsel, and wanted none of my correction,

Proverbs 12:1
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.

Proverbs 15:32
He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.

Jeremiah 7:24-26
Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. / From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. / Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.

Jeremiah 25:4-7
And the LORD has sent all His servants the prophets to you again and again, but you have not listened or inclined your ear to hear. / The prophets told you, ‘Turn now, each of you, from your evil ways and deeds, and you can dwell in the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. / Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.’ ...

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!”

Isaiah 42:23-25
Who among you will pay attention to this? Who will listen and obey hereafter? / Who gave Jacob up for spoil, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? They were unwilling to walk in His ways, and they would not obey His law. / So He poured out on them His furious anger and the fierceness of battle. It enveloped them in flames, but they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.

Zechariah 7:11-13
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. / And just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts.

2 Chronicles 36:15-16
Again and again the LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to His people through His messengers because He had compassion on them and on His dwelling place. / But they mocked the messengers of God, despising His words and scoffing at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD against His people was stirred up beyond remedy.

Nehemiah 9:29-30
You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They turned a stubborn shoulder; they stiffened their necks and would not obey. / You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.

Matthew 7:26-27
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. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its collapse!”

Matthew 13:15
For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.’

Luke 6:46-49
Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but do not do what I say? / I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them: / He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid his foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the torrent crashed against that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. ...

Luke 8:18
Pay attention, therefore, to how you listen. Whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken away from him.”

John 12:48
There is a judge for the one who rejects Me and does not receive My words: The word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.


Treasury of Scripture

And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to them that instructed me!

Luke 15:18
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

1 Thessalonians 4:8
He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

1 Thessalonians 5:12,13
And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; …

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Proverbs 5
1. Solomon exhorts to wisdom
3. He shows the mischief of unfaithfulness and riot
15. He exhorts to contentedness, generosity, and chastity
22. The wicked are overtaken with their own sins














I did not listen
The phrase "I did not listen" underscores a deliberate choice to ignore or disregard guidance. In the Hebrew context, the word for "listen" often implies not just hearing but obeying and internalizing what is heard. This reflects a heart posture that is resistant to wisdom. In the biblical narrative, listening is equated with obedience, as seen in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, where the Shema calls Israel to "hear" and love God fully. The failure to listen is a recurring theme in Proverbs, warning of the consequences of ignoring divine and wise counsel.

to the voice of my teachers
"Voice" here signifies the authoritative and guiding words of those who impart wisdom. In ancient Israel, teachers were often elders or sages who played a crucial role in the community by passing down knowledge and moral instruction. The Hebrew word for "teachers" can also be translated as "instructors" or "guides," emphasizing their role in shaping character and understanding. The neglect of such voices is portrayed as folly throughout Proverbs, as these teachers are seen as conduits of God’s wisdom.

or incline my ear
The phrase "incline my ear" suggests an intentional act of focusing and giving attention. In Hebrew, the verb for "incline" conveys the idea of bending or stretching towards something, indicating a proactive effort to understand and absorb instruction. This imagery is used throughout Scripture to describe a posture of humility and eagerness to learn, as seen in Psalm 119:112, where the psalmist inclines his heart to perform God’s statutes.

to my mentors
"Mentors" refers to those who provide guidance and counsel, often through a personal and relational dynamic. In the biblical context, mentors were not just academic instructors but life coaches who modeled wisdom through their own lives. The Hebrew term can also be translated as "understanders" or "discerners," highlighting their role in helping others navigate life’s complexities. The absence of heeding such mentors is lamented in Proverbs, as it leads to a path of regret and missed opportunities for growth.

Verse 13. - And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me. The ruined profligate admits he was not without teachers and advisers, but that he gave no heed to their warnings and reproofs. Have not obeyed the voice (lo-shama'ti b'kol). The same phrase occurs in Genesis 27:13; Exodus 18:19; Deuteronomy 26:14; 2 Samuel 12:18. The verb shama is primarily "to hear," and then "to obey," "to give heed to," like the Greek ἀκούω.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
I did not
וְֽלֹא־ (wə·lō·šā-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

listen
שָׁ֭מַעְתִּי (ma‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

to the voice
בְּק֣וֹל (bə·qō·wl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of my teachers
מוֹרָ֑י (mō·w·rāy)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3384: To flow as water, to lay, throw, to point out, to teach

[or]
לֹא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

incline
הִטִּ֥יתִי (hiṭ·ṭî·ṯî)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

my ear
אָזְנִֽי׃ (’ā·zə·nî)
Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear

to my mentors.
וְ֝לִֽמְלַמְּדַ֗י (wə·lim·lam·mə·ḏay)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 3925: To exercise in, learn


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 5:13 Neither have I obeyed the voice (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 5:12
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