Proverbs 24:21

Fear the Lord, my child, ¹  as well as the king, and do not associate ²  with rebels, ³ 

Fear the LORD and the king, my son, and do not join with the rebellious,

My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those who are given to change,

My child, fear the LORD and the king, and don’t associate with rebels.

Fear GOD, dear child--respect your leaders; don't be defiant or mutinous.

My son, go in fear of the Lord and the king: have nothing to do with those who are in high positions:

My child, fear the LORD and the king, and do not disobey either of them;

My son, fear the LORD and the king; Do not associate with those given to change;

Fear the Lord, my child, ¹  as well as the king, and do not associate ²  with rebels, ³ 

¹ tn Heb “my son,” but there is no indication in the immediate context that this should be limited only to male children.

² tn Heb “do not get mixed up with”; cf. TEV “Have nothing to do with”; NIV “do not join with.” The verb עָרַב (’arav) is used elsewhere meaning “to exchange; to take on pledge.” In the Hitpael stem it means “to have fellowship; to share; to associate with.” Some English versions (e.g., KJV) interpret as “to meddle” in this context, because “to have fellowship” is certainly not what is meant.

³ tn The form rendered “rebellious” is difficult; it appears to be the Qal active participle, plural, from שָׁנָה (shanah), “to change” – “those who change.” The RV might have thought of the idea of “change” when they rendered it “political agitators.” The Syriac and Tg. Prov 24:21 have “fools,” the Latin has “detractors,” and the LXX reads, “do not disobey either of them,” referring to God and the king in the first line. Accordingly the ruin predicted in the next line would be the ruin that God and the king can inflict. If the idea of “changers” is retained, it would have to mean people who at one time feared God and the king but no longer do.