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King James Version

Proverbs 17:21

In Proverbs 17 of Proverbs.

He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

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Hebrew

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יֹלֵ֣דyoledbearיָלַדverb, qal, participle, absolute — “bear”, a verb used as a describing wordH3205to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineagebear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (wom…כְּ֭סִילkesilfoolכְּסִילadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “fool”, the ordinary formH3684properly, fat, i.e. (figuratively) stupid or sillyfool(-ish).לְת֣וּגָהletugahto heavinessתּוּגָהpreposition, noun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “to heaviness”, the ordinary formH8424depression (of spirits); concretely a griefheaviness, sorrow.ל֑וֹlvotoל֑וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toוְלֹֽאveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יִ֝שְׂמַ֗חyismachbe gladשָׂמַחverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be glad”, an unfinished actionH8055probably to brighten up, i.e. (figuratively) be (causatively, make) blithe or gleesomecheer up, be (make) glad, (have, make) joy(-ful), be (make) merry, (cause to, make to) rejoice, [idiom] very.אֲבִ֣יavifatherאָבnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “father”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote applicationchief, (fore-) father(-less), [idiom] patrimony, principal. Compare names in 'Abi-'.נָבָֽלnavalfoolנָבָלadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “fool”, the ordinary formH5036stupid; wicked (especially impious)fool(-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; and the father of a churl hath no joy.

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American Standard Version (1901)

He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; And the father of a fool hath no joy.

Young’s Literal Translation

Whoso is begetting a fool hath affliction for it, Yea, the father of a fool rejoiceth not.

World English Bible

He who becomes the father of a fool grieves. The father of a fool has no joy.

Darby Translation

He that begetteth a fool [doeth it] to his sorrow, and the father of a vile [man] hath no joy.

Douay-Rheims

A fool is born to his own disgrace: and even his father shall not rejoice in a fool.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow; and the father of a churl hath no joy.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and the heart of a fool is grief to its possessor. A father rejoices not over an uninstructed son; but a wise son gladdens his mother.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καρδία δὲ ἄφρονος ὀδύνη τῷ κεκτημένῳ αὐτήν· οὐκ εὐφραίνεται πατὴρ ἐφʼ υἱῷ ἀπαιδεύτῳ, υἱὸς δὲ φρόνιμος εὐφραίνει μητέρα αὐτοῦ.

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Jewish texts of this verse

The King James Version (1769) is in the public domain in the United States.