King James Version

Proverbs 22:5

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward: he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.

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Hebrew

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צִנִּ֣יםtsinimthornצֵןnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “thorn”, the ordinary formH6791a thorn; hence, a cactus-hedgethorn.פַּ֭חִיםpachimplateפַּחnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “plate”, the ordinary formH6341a (metallic) sheet (as pounded thin); also a spring net (as spread out like a lamina)gin, (thin) plate, snare.בְּדֶ֣רֶךְbederekhin alongדֶּרֶךְpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “in 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).עִקֵּ֑שׁiqeshcrookedעִקֵּשׁadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “crooked”, the ordinary formH6141distorted; hence, falsecrooked, froward, perverse.שׁוֹמֵ֥רshomerbewardשָׁמַרverb, qal, participle, construct — “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,…יִרְחַ֥קyirchaqlooseרָחַקverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “loose”, an unfinished actionH7368to widen (in any direction), i.e. (intransitively) recede or (transitively) remove (literally or figuratively, of place or relation)(a-, be, cast, drive, get, go, keep (self), put, remove, be too, (wander), withdraw) far (away, off), loose, [idiom] refrain, very, (be) a good way (off).מֵהֶֽםmehemfromמֵהֶֽםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “from”from

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward; he that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

Thorns and snares are in the way of the perverse: He that keepeth his soul shall be far from them.

Young’s Literal Translation

Thorns — snares [are] in the way of the perverse, Whoso is keeping his soul is far from them.

World English Bible

Thorns and snares are in the path of the wicked; whoever guards his soul stays far from them.

Darby Translation

Thorns [and] snares are in the way of the perverse: he that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.

Douay-Rheims

Arms and swords are in the way of the perverse: but he that keepeth his own soul departeth far from them.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward; he that keepeth his soul holdeth himself far from them.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Thistles and snares are in perverse ways; but he that keeps his soul will refrain from them.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Τρίβολοι καὶ παγίδες ἐν ὁδοῖς σκολιαῖς, ὁ δὲ φυλάσσων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀφέξεται αὐτῶν.