King James Version

Proverbs 16:17

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

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Hebrew

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מְסִלַּ֣תmesilatcausewayמְסִלָּהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “causeway”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4546a thoroughfare (as turnpiked), literally or figuratively; specifically a viaduct, a staircasecauseway, course, highway, path, terrace.יְ֭שָׁרִיםyesharimstraightיָשָׁרadjective, adjective, masculine, plural, absolute — “straight”, the ordinary formH3477straight (literally or figuratively)convenient, equity, Jasher, just, meet(-est), [phrase] pleased well right(-eous), straight, (most) upright(-ly, -ness).ס֣וּרsurturnסוּרverb, qal, infinitive construct — “turn”, the to-form of the verbH5493to turn off (literal or figurative)be(-head), bring, call back, decline, depart, eschew, get (you), go (aside), [idiom] grievous, lay away (by), leave undone, be past, pluck away, put (away, down), rebel, remove (to and fro), revolt, [idiom] be sour, take (away, off), turn…מֵרָ֑עmerafrom badרַעpreposition, adjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “from bad”, the ordinary formH7451bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, [phrase] displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), [phrase] exceedingly, [idiom] great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), [phrase] mark, mischief(-vous), misery…שֹׁמֵ֥רshomerbewardשָׁמַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “beward”, a verb used as a describing wordH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).נַ֝פְשׁ֗וֹnafshvocreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…נֹצֵ֥רnotserbesiegedנָצַרverb, qal, participle, absolute — “besieged”, a verb used as a describing wordH5341to guard, in a good sense (to protect, maintain, obey, etc.) or a bad one (to conceal, etc.)besieged, hidden thing, keep(-er, -ing), monument, observe, preserve(-r), subtil, watcher(-man).דַּרְכּֽוֹdarkvoalongדֶּרֶךְnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “along”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1870a road (as trodden); figuratively, a course of life or mode of action, often adverbalong, away, because of, [phrase] by, conversation, custom, (east-) ward, journey, manner, passenger, through, toward, (high-) (path-) way(-side), whither(-soever).

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: He that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Young’s Literal Translation

A highway of the upright [is], 'Turn from evil,' Whoso is preserving his soul is watching his way.

World English Bible

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil. He who keeps his way preserves his soul.

Darby Translation

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that taketh heed to his way keepeth his soul.

Douay-Rheims

The path of the just departeth from evils: he that keepeth his soul keepeth his way.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

The paths of life turn aside from evil; and the ways of righteousness are length of life. He that receives instruction shall be in prosperity; and he that regards reproofs shall be made wise. He that keeps his ways, preserves his own soul; and he that loves his life will spare his mouth.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τρίβοι ζωῆς ἐκκλίνουσιν ἀπὸ κακῶν, μῆκος δὲ βίου ὁδοὶ δικαιοσύνης. Ὁ δεχόμενος παιδείαν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς ἔσται, ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων ἐλέγχους σοφισθήσεται· ὃς φυλάσσει τὰς ἑαυτοῦ ὁδοὺς, τηρεῖ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν· ἀγαπῶν δὲ ζωὴν αὐτοῦ, φείσεται στόματος αὐτοῦ.