5:13

Notice the parallel parts that are similar in meaning:

13a I did not listen to the voice of my teachers

13b or incline my ear to my mentors.

In Hebrew, these lines are arranged in the form of a chiasm. The parts in 5:13a occur in the opposite order from the parallel parts in 5:13b.

13a
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers,

13b and to my mentors I did not incline my ear.

You should use whatever order is natural in your language.

5:13a–b

I did not listen to the voice…or incline my ear: The first expression, I did not listen to the voice, is a Hebrew idiom. The parallel verb, incline my ear, is literally “turn my ear” (see the note on 4:20b). You may be able to use a different idiom for one or both of these parallel expressions to catch the reader’s attention or add emphasis in your language.

my teachers…my mentors: The word(s) you choose to translate teachers and mentors should be appropriate to describe anyone who gives moral advice or instruction, including the young man’s father. It should not refer only to schoolteachers.

General Comment on 5:13a–b

This verse continues the young man’s words of remorse that began in 5:12. In some languages, the most effective way to do this will be to use statements, as the Berean Standard Bible has done. In other languages, it may be more effective to use rhetorical questions. For example:

Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to those who gave me instruction? (New Living Translation (1996))

In other languages, it may be preferable to combine and/or reorder the parallel parts. Make sure not to lose the emphasis. See the Display for 5:13a–b (combined/reordered) for different ways of doing this.

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