4:13 Hold on to instruction, 1 do not let it go;
protect it, 2 because it is your life.
23:26 Give me your heart, my son, 3
and let your eyes observe my ways;
24:17 Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, 4
and when he stumbles do not let your heart rejoice,
1 tn Heb “discipline.”
2 tn The form נִצְּרֶהָ (nitsÿreha, from נָצַר, natsar) has an anomalous doubled letter (see GKC 73 §20.h).
3 tn Heb “my son”; the reference to a “son” is retained in the translation here because in the following lines the advice is to avoid women who are prostitutes.
4 sn The saying (vv. 17, 18) warns against gloating over the misfortune of one’s enemies. The prohibition is formed with two negated jussives “do not rejoice” and “let not be glad,” the second qualified by “your heart” as the subject, signifying the inner satisfaction of such a defeat.