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3704 lines
94 KiB
Plaintext
\id PRO unfoldingWord Literal Text
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\ide UTF-8
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\h Proverbs
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\toc1 The Book of Proverbs
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\toc2 Proverbs
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\toc3 Pro
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\mt Proverbs
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\s5
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\c 1
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\p
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\v 1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, the king of Israel.
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\q
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\v 2 These proverbs are to teach wisdom and instruction,
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\q to teach words of insight,
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\q
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\v 3 that you may receive instruction in order to live
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\q by doing what is right, just, and fair.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 4 These proverbs are also to give wisdom to the naive,
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\q and to give knowledge and discretion to young people.
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\q
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\v 5 Let wise people listen and increase their learning,
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\q and let discerning people get guidance,
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\q
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\v 6 to understand proverbs, sayings,
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\q and words of wise people and their riddles.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 7 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge—
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\q fools despise wisdom and instruction.
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\q
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\v 8 My son, hear the instruction of your father
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\q and do not lay aside the rules of your mother;
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\q
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\v 9 they will be a graceful wreath for your head
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\q and pendants hanging from your neck.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 10 My son, if sinners try to entice you into their sin,
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\q refuse to follow them.
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\q
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\v 11 If they say, “Come with us,
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\q let us lie in wait for blood,
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\q let us hide and attack innocent people for no reason.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 12 Let us swallow them up alive, like Sheol takes away those who are healthy,
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\q and make them like those who fall into the pit.
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\q
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\v 13 We shall find all kinds of valuable things;
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\q we will fill our houses with what we steal from others.
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\q
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\v 14 Throw in your lot with us;
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\q we will all have one purse together.”
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\s5
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\q
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\v 15 My son, do not walk down that road with them;
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\q do not let your foot touch where they walk;
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\q
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\v 16 their feet run to evil
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\q and they hurry to shed blood.
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\q
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\v 17 For it is useless to spread the net in the sight of any bird.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 18 These men lie in wait for their own blood—
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\q they set an ambush for their own lives.
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\q
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\v 19 So are the ways of everyone who gains riches by injustice;
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\q unjust gain takes away the lives of those who hold on to it.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
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\q she raises her voice in the open places;
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\q
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\v 21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out,
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\q at the entrance of the city gates she speaks,
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\q
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\v 22 “How long, you naive people, will you love being naive?
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\q How long, you mockers, will you delight in mockery,
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\q and how long, you fools, will you hate knowledge?
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\s5
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\q
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\v 23 Pay attention to my correction;
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\q I will pour out my thoughts to you;
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\q I will make my words known to you.
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\q
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\v 24 I have called, and you have refused to listen;
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\q I reached out with my hand, but there was no one who paid attention.
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\q
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\v 25 But you have ignored all my instruction
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\q and paid no attention to my correction.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 26 I will laugh at your calamity,
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\q I will mock you when the terror comes—
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\q
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\v 27 when your fearful dread comes like a storm
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\q and disaster sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
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\q when distress and anguish come upon you.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 28 Then they will call upon me, and I will not answer;
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\q they will desperately call for me, but they will not find me.
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\q
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\v 29 Because they hate knowledge
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\q and did not choose the fear of Yahweh,
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\q
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\v 30 they would not follow my instruction,
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\q and they despised all my correction.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 31 They will eat the fruit of their ways,
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\q and with the fruit of their schemes they will be filled.
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\q
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\v 32 For the naive are killed when they turn away,
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\q and the indifference of fools will destroy them.
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\q
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\v 33 But whoever listens to me will live in safety
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\q and will rest secure with no fear of disaster.”
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\s5
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\c 2
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\q
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\v 1 My son, if you receive my words
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\q and treasure up my commandments with you,
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\q
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\v 2 make your ears pay attention to wisdom
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\q and incline your heart to understanding.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 3 If you cry out for understanding
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\q and raise your voice for it,
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\q
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\v 4 if you seek it like you would seek silver
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\q and search for understanding as you would seek hidden treasures,
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\q
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\v 5 then you will understand the fear of Yahweh
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\q and you will find the knowledge of God.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 6 For Yahweh gives wisdom,
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\q from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.
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\q
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\v 7 He stores up sound wisdom for those who please him,
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\q he is a shield for those who walk in integrity,
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\q
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\v 8 he guards the paths of justice
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\q and he will preserve the way of his faithful ones.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 9 Then you will understand righteousness, justice, and equity,
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\q and every good path.
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\q
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\v 10 For wisdom will come into your heart,
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\q and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 11 Discretion will watch over you,
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\q understanding will guard you.
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\q
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\v 12 They will rescue you from the way of evil,
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\q from those who speak perverse things,
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\q
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\v 13 who abandon the right paths
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\q and walk in the ways of darkness.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 14 They rejoice when they do evil
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\q and delight in the perversities of evil.
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\q
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\v 15 They follow crooked paths,
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\q and using deception they hide their tracks.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 16 Wisdom and discretion will save you from an adulterous woman,
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\q from an immoral woman and her flattering words.
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\q
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\v 17 She forsakes the companion of her youth
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\q and forgets the covenant of her God.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 18 For her house sinks down to death,
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\q and her tracks will lead you to those in the grave.
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\q
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\v 19 All who go in to her will not return again
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\q and they will not find the paths of life.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 20 So you will walk in the way of good people
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\q and follow the paths of righteous people.
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\q
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\v 21 For those doing right will make a home in the land,
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\q and those with integrity will remain in it.
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\q
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\v 22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land,
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\q and the faithless will be cut off from it.
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\s5
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\c 3
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\q
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\v 1 My son, do not forget my commands
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\q and keep my teachings in your heart,
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\q
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\v 2 for the length of your days and years of your life,
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\q they will add peace to you.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 3 Do not let covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness ever leave you,
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\q tie them together about your neck,
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\q write them on the tablet of your heart.
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\q
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\v 4 Then you will find favor and a good reputation
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\q in the sight of God and man.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart
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\q and do not lean on your own understanding;
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\q
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\v 6 in all your ways acknowledge him
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\q and he will make your paths straight.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
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\q fear Yahweh and turn away from evil.
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\q
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\v 8 It will be healing to your flesh
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\q and refreshment for your body.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 9 Honor Yahweh with your wealth
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\q and with the firstfruits of all your produce,
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\q
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\v 10 and your storehouses will be filled up
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\q and your vats will be bursting, full of new wine.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 11 My son, do not despise Yahweh’s instruction
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\q and do not hate his rebuke,
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\q
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\v 12 for Yahweh disciplines those he loves,
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\q as a father deals with a son who pleases him.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 13 The one who finds wisdom is blessed;
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\q he also gets understanding.
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\q
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\v 14 What you gain from wisdom is better than what silver will give in return
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\q and its profit is better than gold.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 15 Wisdom is more precious than jewels
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\q and nothing you desire can compare to her.
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\q
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\v 16 She has the length of her days in her right hand;
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\q in her left hand are riches and honor.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 17 Her ways are ways of kindness
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\q and all her paths are peace.
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\q
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\v 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of it,
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\q those who hold on to it are happy.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 19 By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth,
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\q by understanding he established the heavens.
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\q
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\v 20 By his knowledge the depths broke open
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\q and the clouds dropped their dew.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 21 My son, keep sound judgment and discernment,
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\q and do not lose sight of them.
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\q
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\v 22 They will be life to your soul
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\q and an adornment of favor to wear around your neck.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 23 Then you will walk on your way in safety
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\q and your foot will not stumble;
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\q
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\v 24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
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\q when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror
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\q or devastation caused by the wicked, when it comes,
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\q
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\v 26 for Yahweh will be on your side
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\q and will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it,
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\q when it is in your power to act.
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\q
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\v 28 Do not say to your neighbor,
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\q “Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give it,”
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\q when you have the money with you.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 29 Do not make a plan to harm your neighbor—
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\q the one who lives close and trusts you.
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\q
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\v 30 Do not argue with a person without a reason,
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\q when he has done nothing to harm you.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 31 Do not envy a violent person
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\q or choose any of his ways.
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\q
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\v 32 For the devious person is detestable to Yahweh,
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\q but he brings the upright person into his confidence.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 33 The curse of Yahweh is on the house of the wicked person,
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\q but he blesses the home of righteous people.
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\q
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\v 34 He mocks mockers,
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\q but he gives his favor to humble people.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 35 Wise people inherit honor,
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\q but fools will be lifted up in their shame.
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\s5
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\c 4
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\q
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\v 1 Listen, sons, to a father’s instruction,
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\q and pay attention so you will know what understanding is.
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\q
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\v 2 I am giving you good instructions;
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\q do not forsake my teaching.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 3 When I was a son of my father,
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\q the tender and only child of my mother,
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\q
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\v 4 he taught me and said to me,
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\q “Let your heart hold fast to my words;
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\q keep my commands and live.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 5 Acquire wisdom and understanding;
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\q do not forget and do not reject the words of my mouth;
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\q
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\v 6 do not abandon wisdom and she will watch over you;
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\q love her and she will keep you safe.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 7 Wisdom is the most important thing, so acquire wisdom
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\q and spend all you own so you can get understanding.
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\q
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\v 8 Cherish wisdom and she will exalt you;
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\q she will honor you when you embrace her.
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\q
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\v 9 She will put a wreath of honor on your head;
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\q she will give you a beautiful crown.”
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\s5
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\q
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\v 10 Listen, my son, and pay attention to my words,
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\q and you will have many years in your life.
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\q
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\v 11 I direct you in the way of wisdom;
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\q I lead you down straight paths.
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\q
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\v 12 When you walk, no one will stand in your way
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\q and if you run, you will not stumble.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 13 Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;
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\q guard it, for it is your life.
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\q
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\v 14 Do not follow the path of the wicked
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\q and do not go along the way of those who do evil.
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\q
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\v 15 Avoid it, do not go on it;
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\q turn away from it and go another way.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 16 For they cannot sleep until they do evil
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\q and they are robbed of sleep until they cause someone to stumble.
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\q
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\v 17 For they eat the bread of wickedness
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\q and drink the wine of violence.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 18 But the path of righteous people is like the first light that grows brighter;
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\q it shines more and more until the fullness of the day comes.
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\q
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\v 19 The way of the wicked is like darkness—
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\q they do not know what it is they stumble over.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 20 My son, pay attention to my words;
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\q incline your ear to my sayings.
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\q
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\v 21 Do not let them turn away from your eyes;
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\q keep them in your heart.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 22 For my words are life to those who find them
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\q and health to their whole body.
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\q
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\v 23 Keep your heart safe and guard it with all diligence,
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\q for from it flow the springs of life.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 24 Put crooked speech away from you
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\q and put corrupt talk far from you.
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\q
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\v 25 Let your eyes look straight ahead
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\q and fix your gaze straight before you.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 26 Make a level path for your foot;
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\q then all your ways will be secure.
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\q
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\v 27 Do not turn aside to the right or to the left;
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\q turn your foot away from evil.
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\s5
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\c 5
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\q
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\v 1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
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\q incline your ears to my understanding,
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\q
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\v 2 so you may learn about discretion
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\q and your lips may protect knowledge.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 3 For the lips of an adulteress drip with honey
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\q and her mouth is smoother than oil,
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\q
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\v 4 but in the end she is as bitter as wormwood,
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\q cutting like a sharp sword.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 5 Her feet go down to death;
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\q her steps go all the way to Sheol.
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\q
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\v 6 She gives no thought to the path of life.
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\q Her footsteps wander; she does not know where she is going.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 7 Now, my sons, listen to me;
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\q do not turn away from listening to the words of my mouth.
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\q
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\v 8 Keep your path far away from her
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\q and do not come near the door of her house.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 9 In that way you will not give away your honor to others
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\q or years of your life to a cruel person;
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\q
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\v 10 strangers will not feast on your wealth;
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\q what you have worked for will not go into the house of strangers.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 11 At the end of your life you will groan
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\q when your flesh and your body waste away.
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\q
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\v 12 You will say, “How I hated instruction
|
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\q and my heart despised correction!
|
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\s5
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\q
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\v 13 I would not obey my teachers
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\q or incline my ear to my instructors.
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\q
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\v 14 I was almost completely ruined
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\q in the midst of the assembly, among the gathering of the people.”
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\s5
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\q
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\v 15 Drink water from your own cistern
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\q and drink running water from your own well.
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\q
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\v 16 Should your springs overflow everywhere
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\q and your streams of water flow in the public squares?
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||
\q
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\v 17 Let them be for yourself alone
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\q and not for strangers with you.
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\s5
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\q
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\v 18 May your fountain be blessed
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||
\q and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth,
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\q
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\v 19 for she is a loving deer and a graceful doe.
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||
\q Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;
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\q may you be continually intoxicated by her love.
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||
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\s5
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\q
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\v 20 For why should you, my son, be captivated by an adulteress;
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\q why should you embrace the breasts of an immoral woman?
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\q
|
||
\v 21 Yahweh sees everything a person does
|
||
\q and watches all the paths he takes.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 A wicked person will be seized by his own iniquities;
|
||
\q the cords of his sin will hold him tight.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 He will die because he lacks instruction;
|
||
\q he is led astray by his great foolishness.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 6
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 My son, if you set aside your money as a guarantee for your neighbor’s loan,
|
||
\q if you gave your promise for a loan of someone you do not know,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 then you have laid a trap for yourself by your promise
|
||
\q and you have been caught by the words of your mouth.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 When you are caught by your words, my son, do this and save yourself,
|
||
\q since you have fallen into the hand of your neighbor;
|
||
\q go and humble yourself and make your case before your neighbor.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Give your eyes no sleep
|
||
\q and your eyelids no slumber.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Save yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter,
|
||
\q like a bird from the hand of the fowler.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Look at the ant, you lazy person,
|
||
\q consider her ways, and be wise.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 It has no commander,
|
||
\q officer, or ruler,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 yet it prepares its food in the summer
|
||
\q and during the harvest it stores up what it will eat.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 How long will you sleep, you lazy person?
|
||
\q When will you rise from your sleep?
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 “A little sleep, a little slumber,
|
||
\q a little folding of the hands to rest”—
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 and your poverty will come like a robber
|
||
\q and your needs like an armed soldier.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 A worthless person—a wicked man—
|
||
\q lives by the crookedness of his speech,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 winking his eyes, making signals with his feet
|
||
\q and pointing with his fingers.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 He plots evil with deceit in his heart;
|
||
\q he always stirs up discord.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 Therefore his disaster will overtake him in an instant;
|
||
\q in a moment he will be broken beyond healing.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 There are six things that Yahweh hates,
|
||
\q seven that are disgusting to him.
|
||
\q
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\v 17 The eyes of a proud person, a tongue that lies,
|
||
\q hands that shed the blood of innocent people,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 a heart that invents wicked schemes,
|
||
\q feet that quickly run to do evil,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 a witness who breathes out lies
|
||
\q and one who sows discord among brothers.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 My son, obey the command of your father
|
||
\q and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Always bind them on your heart;
|
||
\q tie them about your neck.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 When you walk, they will guide you;
|
||
\q when you sleep, they will watch over you;
|
||
\q and when you wake up, they will teach you.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 For the commands are a lamp, and the teaching is a light;
|
||
\q the corrections that come by instruction are the way of life.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 It keeps you from the immoral woman,
|
||
\q from the smooth words of an immoral woman.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 Do not lust in your heart after her beauty
|
||
\q and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Sleeping with a prostitute can cost the price of a loaf of bread,
|
||
\q but the wife of another may cost you your very life.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 Can a man carry a fire against his chest
|
||
\q without burning his clothes?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 Can a man walk on hot coals
|
||
\q without scorching his feet?
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 So is the man who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;
|
||
\q the one who touches her will not go unpunished.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 People do not despise a thief if he steals
|
||
\q to satisfy his need when he is hungry.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 Yet if he is caught, he will pay back seven times what he stole;
|
||
\q he must give up everything of value in his house.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 The one who commits adultery has no sense;
|
||
\q the one who does it destroys himself.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 33 Wounds and shame are what he deserves
|
||
\q and his disgrace will not be wiped away.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 34 For jealousy makes a man furious;
|
||
\q he will show no mercy when he takes his revenge.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 35 He will accept no compensation
|
||
\q and he cannot be bought off, though you offer him many gifts.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 7
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 My son, keep my words
|
||
\q and store up my commands within yourself.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Keep my commands and live
|
||
\q and keep my instruction as the apple of your eye.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Tie them on your fingers;
|
||
\q write them on the tablet of your heart.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
|
||
\q and call understanding your kinsman,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 in order to keep yourself from the adulterous woman,
|
||
\q from the immoral woman with her smooth words.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 At the window of my house
|
||
\q I was looking out through the lattice.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 I looked at the naive people,
|
||
\q and I noticed among the young men
|
||
\q a youth who had no sense.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 That young man passed down the street near her corner,
|
||
\q and he went toward her house.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 It was twilight, in the evening of the day,
|
||
\q at the time of night and darkness.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 There a woman met him,
|
||
\q dressed like a prostitute, with a false heart.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 She was loud and wayward;
|
||
\q her feet did not stay at home.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 Now in the streets, then in the market place,
|
||
\q and at every corner she waited in ambush.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 So she grabbed him and kissed him,
|
||
\q with a strong face she said to him,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 “I made my peace offering today,
|
||
\q I paid my vows,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 so came I out to meet you,
|
||
\q to eagerly seek your face, and I have found you.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 I have spread coverings on my bed,
|
||
\q colored linens from Egypt.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 I have sprinkled my bed
|
||
\q with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Come, let us drink our fill of love until morning;
|
||
\q let us take great pleasure in acts of love.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 For my husband is not at his house;
|
||
\q he has gone on a long journey.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 He took a bag of money with him;
|
||
\q he will return on the day of the full moon.”
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 With much talk she turned him;
|
||
\q with her smooth lips she misled him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 He went after her suddenly
|
||
\q like an ox going to slaughter,
|
||
\q like a deer caught in a trap, \f + \ft \fqa Deer \fqa* could be a stag or an antelope. The Vulgate has \fqa lamb \fqa* . The LXX has \fqa like a dog to the muzzle \fqa* . \f*
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 until an arrow pierces through its liver.
|
||
\q He was like a bird rushing into a snare.
|
||
\q He did not know that it would cost his life.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 Now, my sons, listen to me;
|
||
\q pay attention to the words of my mouth.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 May your heart not turn aside onto her paths;
|
||
\q do not be led astray onto her paths.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 She has caused many people to fall down pierced;
|
||
\q her dead victims are very many.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 Her house is on the paths to Sheol;
|
||
\q they go down to the dark bedrooms of death.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 8
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Does not Wisdom call out?
|
||
\q Does not Understanding raise her voice?
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 On the hilltops beside the road,
|
||
\q at the crossroads, Wisdom has taken her stand.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Before the gates at the entrance into the city,
|
||
\q at the entrances into the city, she calls out.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 “It is to you, people, that I call;
|
||
\q my voice is for the sons of mankind.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 You who are naive, learn wisdom;
|
||
\q and you who are foolish, you must get an understanding mind.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Listen, because I will speak of noble things,
|
||
\q and when my lips open I will say upright things.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 For my mouth speaks what is trustworthy,
|
||
\q and wickedness is disgusting to my lips.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 All the words of my mouth are just;
|
||
\q in them is nothing twisted or misleading.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 All of them are straight for the person who understands;
|
||
\q my words are upright for those who find knowledge.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Acquire my instruction rather than silver;
|
||
\q acquire knowledge rather than pure gold.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 For Wisdom is better than jewels;
|
||
\q no treasure is equal to her.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 I, Wisdom, live with Prudence,
|
||
\q and I possess knowledge and discretion.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil.
|
||
\q I hate pride and arrogance, the evil way,
|
||
\q and perverted speech. I hate them.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 I have good advice and sound wisdom;
|
||
\q I am insight; strength belongs to me.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 By me kings reign, and rulers make laws that are just.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 By me princes rule,
|
||
\q nobles, and all who govern with justice.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 I love those who love me,
|
||
\q and those who diligently seek me, find me.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 With me are riches and honor,
|
||
\q lasting wealth and righteousness.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold;
|
||
\q my produce is better than pure silver.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 I walk in the path of righteousness,
|
||
\q in the midst of the paths of justice.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 As a result, I make those who love me inherit wealth;
|
||
\q I fill up their treasuries.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Yahweh created me at the beginning,
|
||
\q the first of his deeds then.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 In ages long ago I was made—from the first,
|
||
\q from the beginnings of the earth.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 Before there were oceans, I was given birth—
|
||
\q before there were springs abounding with water.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 Before the mountains were settled
|
||
\q and before the hills, I was born.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 I was born before Yahweh had made the earth or the fields,
|
||
\q or even the first dust in the world.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 I was there when he established the heavens,
|
||
\q when he drew a circle on the surface of the deep.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 I was there when he established the clouds above and
|
||
\q when the springs in the deep became fixed.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 I was there when he made his limit for the sea,
|
||
\q so the waters should not spread beyond his command,
|
||
\q and when there was set the limit for the foundations of the dry land.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 I was beside him, as a skilled craftsman;
|
||
\q I was his delight day after day,
|
||
\q always rejoicing before him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 I was rejoicing in his whole world,
|
||
\q and my delight was in the sons of mankind.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 Now, my sons, listen to me,
|
||
\q for those who keep my ways will be blessed.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 33 Listen to my instruction and be wise;
|
||
\q do not neglect it.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 34 The one who listens to me will be blessed.
|
||
\q He will be watching every day at my doors,
|
||
\q waiting beside the posts of my doors.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 35 For whoever finds me, finds life,
|
||
\q and he will find the favor of Yahweh.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 36 But he who fails, harms his own life;
|
||
\q all who hate me love death.”
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 9
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Wisdom has built her own house;
|
||
\q she has carved seven pillars out of rocks.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 She has slaughtered her animals; she has mixed her wine;
|
||
\q and she has set her table.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 She has sent out her maids; she calls out
|
||
\q from the highest points of the city,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 “Who is naive? Let him turn aside here!”
|
||
\q To the one lacking good sense she speaks.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 “Come, eat my food,
|
||
\q and drink the wine I have mixed.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Leave your naive actions and live;
|
||
\q walk in the path of understanding.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 Whoever disciplines a mocker receives abuse,
|
||
\q and whoever rebukes a wicked person receives insults.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Do not reprove a mocker, or he will hate you;
|
||
\q reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Give to a wise person, and he will become even wiser;
|
||
\q teach a righteous person, and he will add to his learning.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of wisdom,
|
||
\q and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 For through me your days will be multiplied,
|
||
\q and years of life will be added to you.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 If you are wise, you are wise for yourself,
|
||
\q and if you mock, you will carry it by yourself.”
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 The woman of foolishness is ignorant;
|
||
\q she is untaught and knows nothing.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 She sits at the door of her house,
|
||
\q on a seat in the highest places of the town.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 She is calling out to those who pass by in the streets,
|
||
\q to people walking straight on their way.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 “Let anyone who is naive turn aside here,”
|
||
\q she says to those who have no sense.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 “Stolen waters are sweet,
|
||
\q and bread of secrecy is delicious.”
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 But he does not know that the dead are there,
|
||
\q that her invited guests are in the depths of Sheol.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 10
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 The proverbs of Solomon.
|
||
\q A wise son makes his father rejoice
|
||
\q but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Treasures accumulated by wickedness have no value,
|
||
\q but doing what is right keeps you from death.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Yahweh does not let the soul of the righteous person go hungry,
|
||
\q but he frustrates the cravings of the wicked.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 A lazy hand causes a person to be poor,
|
||
\q but the hand of the diligent person gains riches.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 A wise son gathers a crop in the summer,
|
||
\q but it is disgraceful for him to sleep during harvest.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Gifts from God are upon the head of the righteous person,
|
||
\q but the mouth of the wicked covers up violence.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 The righteous person makes those who remember him happy,
|
||
\q but the name of the wicked will rot away.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Those who are sensible accept commands,
|
||
\q but a talkative fool will come to ruin.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 He who walks in integrity walks in safety,
|
||
\q but the one who makes his ways crooked, he will be found out.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 He who winks the eye causes grief,
|
||
\q but a talkative fool will be thrown down.
|
||
\f + \ft Some modern versions have \fqa but one who bravely corrects makes peace \fqa* . \f*
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 The mouth of the righteous person is a water spring of life,
|
||
\q but the mouth of the wicked covers up violence.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 Hatred stirs up conflicts,
|
||
\q but love covers over all offenses.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 Wisdom is found on the lips of a discerning person,
|
||
\q but a rod is for the back of the one who has no sense.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 Wise men store up knowledge,
|
||
\q but the mouth of a fool brings destruction near.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 The wealth of a rich man is his fortified city;
|
||
\q the poverty of the poor is their destruction.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 The wage of the righteous person leads to life;
|
||
\q the profit of the wicked leads them to sin.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 There is a path to life for the one who follows discipline,
|
||
\q but the one who rejects correction is led astray.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Whoever conceals hatred has lying lips,
|
||
\q and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 When there are many words, transgression is not lacking,
|
||
\q but he who is careful in what he says is wise.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 The tongue of the righteous person is pure silver;
|
||
\q there is little value in the heart of the wicked.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 The lips of the righteous person nourish many,
|
||
\q but fools die because of their lack of sense.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 The good gifts of Yahweh bring wealth
|
||
\q and he adds no pain to it.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Wickedness is a game a fool plays,
|
||
\q but wisdom is a pleasure to a man of understanding.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The fear of the wicked person will overtake him,
|
||
\q but the desire of righteous people will be granted.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 The wicked are like the storm that passes by, and they are no more,
|
||
\q but the righteous person is a foundation that lasts forever.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Like vinegar on the teeth and smoke in the eyes,
|
||
\q so is the sluggard to those who send him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 The fear of Yahweh prolongs life,
|
||
\q but the years of the wicked will be short.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 The hope of righteous people is their joy,
|
||
\q but the years of wicked people will be short.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 The way of Yahweh protects those who have integrity,
|
||
\q but it is destruction for the wicked.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 The righteous person will never be overthrown,
|
||
\q but the wicked will not remain in the land.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 Out of the mouth of the righteous person comes the fruit of wisdom,
|
||
\q but the perverse tongue will be cut out.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 The lips of the righteous person know what is acceptable,
|
||
\q but the mouth of the wicked, they know what is perverse.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 11
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Yahweh hates scales that are not accurate,
|
||
\q but he delights in a precise weight.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
|
||
\q but with humility comes wisdom.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
|
||
\q but the crooked ways of the treacherous destroy them.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Wealth is worthless on the day of wrath,
|
||
\q but doing right keeps you from death.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 The right conduct of a blameless person makes his way straight,
|
||
\q but the wicked will fall because of their own wickedness.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 The right conduct of those who please God keeps them safe,
|
||
\q but the treacherous are trapped by their cravings.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes
|
||
\q and the hope that was in his strength comes to nothing.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 The righteous person is kept away from trouble
|
||
\q and it comes upon the wicked instead.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 With his mouth the godless person destroys his neighbor,
|
||
\q but through knowledge righteous people are kept safe.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 When righteous people prosper, a city rejoices;
|
||
\q when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Through the good gifts of those who please God, the city becomes great;
|
||
\q by the mouth of the wicked, the city is torn down.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 The man who has contempt for his friend has no sense,
|
||
\q but a man of understanding keeps quiet.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 Whoever goes around slandering reveals secrets,
|
||
\q but a faithful person keeps a matter covered.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 Where there is no wise direction, a nation falls,
|
||
\q but victory comes by consulting many advisors.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 Whoever guarantees a loan for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
|
||
\q but the one who hates giving a pledge in that kind of promise is safe.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 A gracious woman gets honor,
|
||
\q but ruthless people grasp for wealth.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 A kind person benefits himself,
|
||
\q but one who is cruel hurts himself.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 The wicked person lies to get his wages,
|
||
\q but one who sows what is right reaps the wages of truth.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 An honest person who does what is right will live,
|
||
\q but the one who pursues evil will die.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Yahweh hates those whose hearts are perverse,
|
||
\q but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Be sure of this—the wicked person will not go unpunished,
|
||
\q but the descendants of righteous people will be kept safe.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s nose
|
||
\q is a beautiful woman without discretion.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 The desires of righteous people result in good,
|
||
\q but wicked people can only hope for wrath.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 There is one who scatters—he will accumulate even more;
|
||
\q another withholds what he should give—he comes to poverty.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 The generous person will prosper
|
||
\q and the one who gives water to others will have water for himself.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 People curse the man who refuses to sell grain,
|
||
\q but good gifts crown the head of him who sells it.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 The one who diligently seeks good is also seeking favor,
|
||
\q but the one who searches for evil will find it.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,
|
||
\q but like the leaf, righteous people will flourish.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 The one who brings trouble on his own household will inherit the wind
|
||
\q and the fool will become a servant to the wise of heart.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 The righteous person will be like a tree of life,
|
||
\q but violence takes away lives.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 Behold! The righteous person receives what he deserves;
|
||
\q how much more the wicked and the sinner!
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 12
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
|
||
\q but the one who hates correction is stupid.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Yahweh gives favor to a good man,
|
||
\q but he condemns a man who makes evil plans.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 A person cannot be established by wickedness,
|
||
\q but righteous people cannot be uprooted.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 A worthy wife is her husband’s crown,
|
||
\q but she who brings shame is like a disease that rots his bones.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 The plans of the righteous are just,
|
||
\q but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 The words of wicked people are an ambush waiting for a chance to kill,
|
||
\q but the words of the upright keep them safe.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 Wicked people are overthrown and they are gone,
|
||
\q but the house of the righteous person will stand.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 A person is praised by how much wisdom he has,
|
||
\q but the one who makes perverse choices is despised.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Better to have an unimportant position—only being a servant—
|
||
\q than to brag about your importance but have no food.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 The righteous person cares about the needs of his animal,
|
||
\q but even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 The one who works his land will have plenty of food,
|
||
\q but whoever chases after worthless projects has no sense.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 The wicked person desires what evil men have stolen from others,
|
||
\q but the fruit of righteous people comes from themselves.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 An evil person is trapped by his wicked talk,
|
||
\q but the righteous person escapes from trouble.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 From the fruit of his words a person is filled with good things,
|
||
\q just as the work of his hands rewards him.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
|
||
\q but a wise man listens to advice.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 A fool shows his anger at once,
|
||
\q but one who ignores an insult is prudent.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 The one who speaks the truth says what is right,
|
||
\q but a false witness tells lies.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 The words of one who speaks rashly are like the thrusts of a sword,
|
||
\q but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 Truthful lips last forever,
|
||
\q but a lying tongue is only for a moment.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 There is deceit in the hearts of those who plan to do evil,
|
||
\q but joy comes to the advisors of peace.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 No ill comes on the righteous person,
|
||
\q but wicked people are filled with difficulties.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Yahweh hates lying lips,
|
||
\q but those who live faithfully are his delight.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 A prudent man conceals his knowledge,
|
||
\q but the heart of fools shouts out folly.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The hand of the diligent will rule,
|
||
\q but lazy people will be put to forced labor.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 Anxiety in the heart of a person weighs him down,
|
||
\q but a good word makes him glad.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 The righteous person is a guide for his friend,
|
||
\q but the way of the wicked leads them astray.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 Lazy people would not roast their own game,
|
||
\q but the diligent man will obtain precious wealth.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 Those who walk in the right way find life
|
||
\q and in its path there is no death.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 13
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 A wise son hears his father’s instruction,
|
||
\q but a mocker will not listen to rebuke.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 From the fruit of his mouth a person enjoys good things,
|
||
\q but the appetite of the treacherous is for violence.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 The one who guards his mouth protects his life,
|
||
\q but the one who opens wide his lips will ruin himself.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 The appetite of lazy people craves but gets nothing,
|
||
\q but the appetite of diligent people will be richly satisfied.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 The righteous person hates lies,
|
||
\q but a wicked person makes himself repugnant, and he does what is shameful.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Righteousness protects those who are faultless in their path,
|
||
\q but wickedness turns away those who commit sin.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 There is someone who enriches himself, but has nothing at all,
|
||
\q and there is someone who gives everything away, yet is truly wealthy.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 The ransom of a rich man’s life is his wealth,
|
||
\q but a poor person does not hear a threat.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 The light of righteous people rejoices,
|
||
\q but the lamp of wicked people will be put out.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Pride only breeds conflict,
|
||
\q but for those who listen to good advice there is wisdom.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Wealth dwindles away when there is too much vanity,
|
||
\q but the one who makes money by working with his hand will make his money grow.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 When hope is postponed, it breaks the heart,
|
||
\q but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 Whoever despises instruction brings destruction on himself,
|
||
\q but he who respects the commandment will be rewarded.
|
||
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 The teaching of a wise person is a fountain of life,
|
||
\q turning you away from the snares of death.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 Good insight wins favor,
|
||
\q but the way of the treacherous is never-ending.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 Prudent people act out of knowledge in every decision,
|
||
\q but a fool parades his folly.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 A wicked messenger falls into trouble,
|
||
\q but a faithful envoy brings reconciliation.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 The one who ignores instruction will have poverty and shame,
|
||
\q but honor will come to him who learns from correction.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 A longing realized is sweet to the appetite,
|
||
\q but fools hate to turn away from evil.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Walk with wise people and you will be wise,
|
||
\q but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Disaster runs after sinners,
|
||
\q but righteous people are rewarded with good.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 A good person leaves an inheritance for his grandchildren,
|
||
\q but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous person.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 An unplowed field owned by the poor could produce much food,
|
||
\q but it is swept away by injustice.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The one who does not discipline his son hates him,
|
||
\q but one who loves his son is careful to instruct him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 The righteous person eats until he satisfies his appetite,
|
||
\q but the stomach of the wicked is always hungry.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 14
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 The wise woman builds her house,
|
||
\q but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 The one who walks uprightly fears Yahweh,
|
||
\q but the one who is dishonest in his ways despises him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 From the mouth of a fool comes a rod for his back,
|
||
\q but the lips of the wise will preserve them.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Where there are no cattle the feeding trough is clean,
|
||
\q but an abundant crop can come by the strength of an ox.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 A faithful witness does not lie,
|
||
\q but a false witness breathes out lies.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 A mocker seeks wisdom and there is none,
|
||
\q but knowledge comes easy to the one who is discerning.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 Walk away from a foolish person,
|
||
\q for you will not find knowledge on his lips.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 The wisdom of the prudent person is to understand his own way,
|
||
\q but the folly of fools is deception.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Fools mock when the guilt offering is sacrificed,
|
||
\q but among the upright favor is shared.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 The heart knows its own bitterness
|
||
\q and no stranger shares its joy.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 The house of wicked people will be destroyed,
|
||
\q but the tent of upright people will flourish.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 There is a way that seems right to a man,
|
||
\q but its end only leads to death.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 A heart can laugh but still be in pain
|
||
\q and joy may end up being grief.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 The one who is not faithful will get what his ways deserve,
|
||
\q but a good person will get what is his.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 The one who is naive believes everything,
|
||
\q but the prudent man thinks about his steps.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 A wise man fears and turns away from evil,
|
||
\q but the fool confidently dismisses a warning.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 One who is quick to become angry does foolish things,
|
||
\q and a person who makes evil schemes is hated.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 The naive inherit foolishness,
|
||
\q but prudent people are crowned with knowledge.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 Evil people will bow down before those who are good
|
||
\q and those who are wicked will bow down at the gates of the righteous person.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 The poor person is hated even by his own companions,
|
||
\q but the rich people have many friends.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 The one who shows contempt for his neighbor is sinning,
|
||
\q but the one who shows favor to the poor is blessed.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Do not those who plot evil go astray?
|
||
\q But those who plan to do good will receive covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 With all hard work comes a profit,
|
||
\q but when there is only talk, it leads to poverty.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The crown of wise people is their wealth,
|
||
\q but the folly of fools brings them only more folly.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 A truthful witness saves lives,
|
||
\q but a false witness breathes out lies.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 When someone fears Yahweh, he also has much confidence in him;
|
||
\q these things will be like a strong place of protection for this man’s children.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 The fear of Yahweh is a fountain of life,
|
||
\q so that a person may turn away from the snares of death.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 The glory of a king is found in the great number of his people,
|
||
\q but without people the prince is ruined.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 A patient person has great understanding,
|
||
\q but the quick-tempered person exalts folly.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\v 30 A tranquil heart is life for the body,
|
||
\q but envy rots the bones.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 The one who oppresses the poor curses his Maker,
|
||
\q but the one who shows favor to the needy honors him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 The wicked person is brought down by his evil actions,
|
||
\q but the righteous person has a refuge even in death.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 33 Wisdom rests in the heart of the discerning,
|
||
\q but even among fools she lets herself be known.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 34 Doing what is right exalts a nation,
|
||
\q but sin is a disgrace to any people.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 35 The favor of the king is with the servant who acts prudently,
|
||
\q but his anger is for the one who acts shamefully.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 15
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 A gentle answer turns away wrath,
|
||
\q but a harsh word stirs up anger.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 The tongue of wise people compliments knowledge,
|
||
\q but the mouth of fools pours out folly.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 The eyes of Yahweh are everywhere,
|
||
\q keeping watch over the evil and the good.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 A healing tongue is a tree of life,
|
||
\q but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 A fool has contempt for his father’s instruction,
|
||
\q but he who learns from correction is prudent.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 In the house of the righteous person there is great treasure,
|
||
\q but the earnings of the wicked person give him trouble.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 The lips of wise people scatter knowledge about,
|
||
\q but not so the hearts of fools.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Yahweh hates the sacrifices of wicked people,
|
||
\q but the prayer of upright people is his delight.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Yahweh hates the way of wicked people,
|
||
\q but he loves the one who pursues what is right.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Harsh discipline awaits anyone who forsakes the way
|
||
\q and he who hates correction will die.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Sheol and destruction are open before Yahweh;
|
||
\q how much more the hearts of the sons of mankind?
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 The mocker resents correction;
|
||
\q he will not go to the wise.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 A joyful heart makes the face cheerful,
|
||
\q but heartache crushes the spirit.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 The heart of the discerning seeks knowledge,
|
||
\q but the mouth of fools feeds on folly.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 All the days of oppressed people are miserable,
|
||
\q but a cheerful heart has an unending feast.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 Better is little with the fear of Yahweh
|
||
\q than great treasure with confusion.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Better is a meal with vegetables where there is love
|
||
\q than a fatted calf served with hatred.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 An angry man stirs up arguments,
|
||
\q but a person who is slow to anger quiets a quarrel.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 The path of the sluggard is like a place with a hedge of thorns,
|
||
\q but the path of the upright is a built-up highway.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 A wise son brings joy to his father,
|
||
\q but a foolish person despises his mother.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Folly delights a person who lacks sense,
|
||
\q but the one who has understanding walks a straight path.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Plans go wrong where there is no advice,
|
||
\q but with numerous advisors they succeed.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 A person finds joy when he gives a pertinent reply;
|
||
\q how good is a timely word!
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The path of life leads upward for prudent people,
|
||
\q that they may turn away from Sheol beneath.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 Yahweh tears down the house of the proud,
|
||
\q but he protects the property of the widow.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Yahweh hates the thoughts of wicked people,
|
||
\q but the words of kindness are pure.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 The robber brings trouble to his family,
|
||
\q but the one who hates bribes will live.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 The heart of the righteous person ponders before it answers,
|
||
\q but the mouth of wicked people pours out all its evil.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 Yahweh is far away from wicked people,
|
||
\q but he hears the prayer of righteous people.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 The light of the eyes brings joy to the heart
|
||
\q and good news is health to the body.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 If you pay attention when someone corrects how you live,
|
||
\q you will remain among wise people.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 The one who rejects discipline despises himself,
|
||
\q but he who listens to correction gains understanding.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 33 The fear of Yahweh teaches wisdom
|
||
\q and humility comes before honor.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 16
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 The plans of the heart belong to a person,
|
||
\q but from Yahweh comes the answer from his tongue.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 All of a person’s ways are pure in his own eyes,
|
||
\q but Yahweh weighs the spirits.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Commit your works to Yahweh
|
||
\q and your plans will succeed.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Yahweh has made everything for its purpose,
|
||
\q even the wicked for the day of trouble.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Yahweh hates everyone who has an arrogant heart,
|
||
\q but be sure of this, they will not go unpunished.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 By covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness iniquity is atoned for
|
||
\q and by the fear of Yahweh people turn away from evil.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 When a person’s ways are pleasing to Yahweh,
|
||
\q he makes even that person’s enemies to be at peace with him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Better is a little with what is right,
|
||
\q than a large income with injustice.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 In his heart a person plans out his way,
|
||
\q but Yahweh directs his steps.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Insightful decisions are on the lips of a king,
|
||
\q his mouth should not betray justice.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Honest scales come from Yahweh;
|
||
\q all the weights in the bag are his work.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 When kings do wicked things, that is something to be despised,
|
||
\q for a throne is established by doing what is right.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 A king delights in lips that say what is right
|
||
\q and he loves the one who speaks directly.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 A king’s wrath is a messenger of death
|
||
\q but a wise man will try to calm his anger.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 In the light of a king’s face is life
|
||
\q and his favor is like a cloud that brings a spring rain.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 How much better it is to get wisdom than gold.
|
||
\q To get understanding should be chosen more than silver.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 The highway of upright people turns away from evil;
|
||
\q the one who protects his life guards his way.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Pride comes before destruction
|
||
\q and a haughty spirit before a downfall.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 It is better to be humble among poor people
|
||
\q than to divide the spoil with proud people.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Whoever contemplates what they are taught will find what is good,
|
||
\q and those who trust in Yahweh will be blessed.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 The one who is wise in heart is called discerning
|
||
\q and sweetness of speech improves the ability to teach.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Understanding is a fountain of life to the one who has it,
|
||
\q but the instruction of fools is their foolishness.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 The heart of a wise person gives insight to his mouth
|
||
\q and adds persuasiveness to his lips.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb—
|
||
\q sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
|
||
\q but its end is the way to death.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 The laborer’s appetite works for him;
|
||
\q his hunger urges him on.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 A worthless person digs up mischief
|
||
\q and his speech is like a scorching fire.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 A perverse person stirs up conflict
|
||
\q and a gossip separates close friends.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 A man of violence lies to his neighbor
|
||
\q and leads him down a path that is not good.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 The one who winks the eye is plotting perverse things;
|
||
\q those who purse the lips will bring evil to pass.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 Gray hair is a crown of glory;
|
||
\q it is gained by living the right way.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 It is better to be slow to anger than to be a warrior
|
||
\q and one who rules his spirit is stronger than one who conquers a city.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 33 The lots are cast into the lap,
|
||
\q but the decision is from Yahweh.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 17
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 It is better to have quiet with a dry morsel of bread
|
||
\q than a house full of feasting with strife.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 A wise servant will rule over a son who acts shamefully
|
||
\q and will share the inheritance as one of the brothers.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 The crucible is for silver and the furnace is for gold,
|
||
\q but Yahweh refines hearts.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 The evildoer pays attention to wicked lips;
|
||
\q a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker
|
||
\q and the one who rejoices at misfortune will not go unpunished.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged
|
||
\q and parents bring honor to their children.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 Eloquent speech is not suitable for a fool;
|
||
\q much less are lying lips suitable for royalty.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 A bribe is like a magic stone to the one who gives it;
|
||
\q wherever he turns, he succeeds.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Whoever overlooks an offense seeks love,
|
||
\q but the one who repeats a matter alienates close friends.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 A rebuke goes deeper into a person who has understanding
|
||
\q than a hundred blows go into a fool.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 An evil person only seeks rebellion,
|
||
\q so a cruel messenger will be sent against him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 It is better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
|
||
\q than to meet a fool in his foolishness.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 When someone returns evil for good,
|
||
\q evil will never leave his house.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 The beginning of conflict is like one who releases water everywhere,
|
||
\q so walk away from the dispute before it has broken out.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 The person who acquits the wicked person and the person who condemns the righteous person—
|
||
\q both are an abomination to Yahweh.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 Why should a fool pay money to learn about wisdom,
|
||
\q when he has no ability to learn it?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 A friend is loving at all times
|
||
\q and a brother is born for times of trouble.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 A man having no sense makes binding promises
|
||
\q and becomes responsible for his neighbor’s debts.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 Whoever loves conflict loves sin;
|
||
\q the one who makes the threshold of his door too high causes bones to be broken.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 A person who has a crooked heart finds nothing that is good;
|
||
\q the one who has a perverse tongue falls into calamity.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Whoever is the parent of a fool brings grief to himself;
|
||
\q and the father of a fool has no joy.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
|
||
\q but a broken spirit dries up the bones.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 A wicked man accepts a secret bribe
|
||
\q to pervert the ways of justice.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The one who has understanding sets his face toward wisdom,
|
||
\q but the eyes of a fool are set on the ends of the earth.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 A foolish son is a grief to his father
|
||
\q and bitterness to the woman who bore him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Also, it is never good to punish the righteous person;
|
||
\q neither is it good to flog noble men who have integrity.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 One who has knowledge uses few words
|
||
\q and one with understanding is even-tempered.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 Even a fool is thought to be wise if he keeps silent;
|
||
\q when he keeps his mouth shut, he is considered to be intelligent.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 18
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 One who isolates himself seeks his own desire
|
||
\q and he quarrels with all sound judgment.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding,
|
||
\q but only in revealing what is in his own heart.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 When a wicked person comes, contempt comes with him—
|
||
\q along with shame and reproach.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters;
|
||
\q the fountain of wisdom is a flowing stream.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 It is not good to be partial to the wicked person,
|
||
\q nor to deny justice to the righteous person.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 A fool’s lips bring him conflict
|
||
\q and his mouth invites a beating.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 A fool’s mouth is his ruin
|
||
\q and he ensnares himself with his lips.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels
|
||
\q and they go down into the inner parts of the body.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Also, one who is slack in his work
|
||
\q is a brother to the one who destroys the most.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 The name of Yahweh is a strong tower;
|
||
\q the righteous person runs into it and is safe.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 The wealth of the rich is his fortified city
|
||
\q and in his imagination it is like a high wall.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 Before his downfall a person’s heart is proud,
|
||
\q but humility comes before honor.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 One who answers before listening—
|
||
\q it is his folly and shame.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 A person’s spirit will survive sickness,
|
||
\q but a broken spirit who can bear it?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 The heart of the intelligent acquires knowledge
|
||
\q and the hearing of the wise seeks it out.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 A man’s gift may open the way
|
||
\q and bring him before an important person.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 The first to plead his case seems right
|
||
\q until his opponent comes and questions him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Casting the lot settles disputes
|
||
\q and separates strong opponents.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 An offended brother is harder to be won than a strong city,
|
||
\q and quarreling is like the bars of a castle.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 From the fruit of his mouth one’s stomach is filled;
|
||
\q with the harvest of his lips he is satisfied.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Death and life are controlled by the tongue,
|
||
\q and those who love the tongue will eat its fruit.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing
|
||
\q and receives favor from Yahweh.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 A poor person pleads for mercy,
|
||
\q but a rich person answers harshly.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The one who claims many friends is brought to ruin by them,
|
||
\q but there is a friend who comes closer than a brother.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 19
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
|
||
\q than one who is perverse in speech and is a fool.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Also, it is not good to have desire without knowledge
|
||
\q and the one who runs too fast misses the path.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 A person’s folly ruins his life
|
||
\q and his heart rages against Yahweh.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Wealth adds many friends,
|
||
\q but a poor person is separated from his friends.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 A false witness will not go unpunished
|
||
\q and he who breathes out lies will not escape.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Many will ask for a favor from a generous person
|
||
\q and everyone is a friend of the one who gives gifts.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 All the brothers of a poor man hate him;
|
||
\q how much more do his friends who go far away from him!
|
||
\q He calls out to them, but they are gone.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 He who gets wisdom loves his own life;
|
||
\q he who keeps understanding will find what is good.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
|
||
\q but the one who breathes out lies will perish.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury—
|
||
\q much less for a slave to rule over princes.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Discretion makes a person slow to anger
|
||
\q and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 The wrath of the king is like the roaring of a young lion,
|
||
\q but his favor is like dew on the grass.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 A foolish son is ruin to his father
|
||
\q and a quarreling wife is a constant dripping of water.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 A house and wealth are inherited from parents,
|
||
\q but a prudent wife is from Yahweh.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 Laziness throws a person into a deep sleep,
|
||
\q but the one not willing to work will go hungry.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 The one who obeys the command guards his life,
|
||
\q but the person who does not think about his ways will die.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Whoever is kind to the poor lends to Yahweh
|
||
\q and he will repay him for what he has done.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Discipline your son while there is hope
|
||
\q and do not set your desire on putting him to death.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty;
|
||
\q if you rescue him, you will have to do it a second time.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
|
||
\q so you may become wise by the end of your life.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
|
||
\q but it is the purpose of Yahweh that will stand.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Loyalty is what a person desires
|
||
\q and a poor person is better than a liar.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Honor for Yahweh leads people to life;
|
||
\q anyone who has it will be satisfied
|
||
\q and not afflicted by harm.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
|
||
\q he will not even bring it back up to his mouth.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 Strike a mocker, and the naive person will become prudent;
|
||
\q discipline one who is discerning, and he will gain knowledge.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 The one who robs his father and chases his mother away
|
||
\q is a son who brings shame and reproach.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 If you cease to hear instruction, my son,
|
||
\q you will stray from the words of knowledge.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 A corrupt witness mocks justice
|
||
\q and the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 Condemnation is ready for mockers
|
||
\q and flogging for the backs of fools.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 20
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Wine is a mocker and strong drink is a brawler;
|
||
\q whoever is led astray by drink is not wise.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 The fear of a king is like the fear of a young lion that is roaring;
|
||
\q the one who makes him angry forfeits his life.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 It is an honor for anyone to avoid conflict,
|
||
\q but every fool jumps into an argument.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 The lazy person does not plow in autumn;
|
||
\q he seeks a crop at harvest time but will have nothing.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 The purpose in a human heart is like deep water,
|
||
\q but someone with understanding will draw it out.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Many a person proclaims he is loyal,
|
||
\q but who can find one who is faithful?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 The righteous person walks in his integrity,
|
||
\q and his sons who follow after him will be blessed.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 A king who sits on the throne performing the duties of a judge
|
||
\q is winnowing with his eyes all the evil that is before him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure;
|
||
\q I am clean from my sin”?
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Differing weights and unequal measures—
|
||
\q Yahweh hates them both.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Even a youth is known by his actions,
|
||
\q by whether his conduct is pure and upright.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 Ears that hear and eyes that see—
|
||
\q Yahweh made them both.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 Do not love sleep or you will come to poverty;
|
||
\q open your eyes and you will have plenty to eat.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 “Bad! Bad!” says the buyer,
|
||
\q but when he goes away he boasts.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 There is gold and an abundance of costly stones,
|
||
\q but lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 Take a garment of one who has put up security for a stranger,
|
||
\q and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an immoral woman.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Bread gained by deceit tastes sweet,
|
||
\q but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Plans are established by advice
|
||
\q and only with wise guidance should you wage war.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 A gossip reveals secrets
|
||
\q and so you should not associate with people who talk too much.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 If a person curses his father or his mother,
|
||
\q his lamp will be snuffed out in the middle of darkness.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 An inheritance gained quickly at the beginning
|
||
\q will do less good in the end.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Do not say, “I will pay you back for this wrong!”
|
||
\q Wait for Yahweh and he will rescue you.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Yahweh hates unequal weights
|
||
\q and dishonest scales are not good.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 A person’s steps are directed by Yahweh;
|
||
\q how then can he understand his way?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 It is a snare for a person to say rashly, “This thing is holy,”
|
||
\q and begin to think about what it means only after making his vow.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 A wise king winnows the wicked
|
||
\q and he turns a threshing wheel over them.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 The spirit of a person is the lamp of Yahweh,
|
||
\q searching all his inmost parts.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 Covenant faithfulness and trustworthiness preserve the king;
|
||
\q his throne is made secure by love.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 The glory of young men is their strength
|
||
\q and the splendor of old people is their gray hair.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 Blows that make a wound cleanse away evil
|
||
\q and beatings make the innermost parts clean.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 21
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of Yahweh;
|
||
\q he turns it wherever he pleases.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Every person’s way is right in his own eyes,
|
||
\q but it is Yahweh who weighs the hearts.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 To do what is right and just
|
||
\q is more acceptable to Yahweh than sacrifice.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart—
|
||
\q the lamp of the wicked—are sin.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 The plans of the diligent lead only to prosperity,
|
||
\q but everyone who acts too quickly comes only to poverty.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Acquiring riches by a lying tongue
|
||
\q is a fleeting vapor and a snare that kills.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
|
||
\q for they refuse to do what is just.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 The way of a guilty person is crooked,
|
||
\q but the one who is pure does what is right.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 It is better to live on a corner of the roof
|
||
\q than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 The appetite of the wicked craves evil;
|
||
\q his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 When the mocker is punished, the naive become wise,
|
||
\q and when the wise person is instructed, he lays hold of knowledge.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 The righteous person watches the house of the wicked person;
|
||
\q he brings wicked people to disaster.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 The one who shuts his ears to the cry of the poor,
|
||
\q he also will cry out, but he will not be answered.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 A gift in secret appeases anger
|
||
\q and a concealed gift appeases strong wrath.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous person,
|
||
\q but it brings terror to evildoers.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 The one who wanders from the way of understanding,
|
||
\q he will rest in the assembly of the dead.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Whoever loves pleasure will become poor;
|
||
\q the one who loves wine and oil will not be rich.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 A wicked person is ransom for the righteous person,
|
||
\q and the treacherous person is ransom for upright people.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 It is better to live in the desert
|
||
\q than with a quarreling and angry wife.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Desirable treasure and oil are kept in the dwelling of the wise,
|
||
\q but a foolish person swallows it all up.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 The one who does right and is kind—
|
||
\q this person finds life, righteousness, and honor.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 A wise man scales the city of the mighty ones,
|
||
\q and he brings down the stronghold in which they trusted.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
|
||
\q keeps himself out of trouble.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The proud and haughty person—”Mocker” is his name—
|
||
\q acts with arrogant pride.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 The desire of the lazy kills him,
|
||
\q for his hands refuse to work.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 All day long he craves and craves more,
|
||
\q but the righteous person gives and does not hold back.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable;
|
||
\q it is even more detestable when he brings it with evil motives.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 A false witness will perish,
|
||
\q but the one who listens will speak for all time.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 A wicked man makes his face hard,
|
||
\q but an upright person is certain about his ways.
|
||
\f + \ft Some modern versions have \fqa but an upright person thinks about his way \fqa* . \f*
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 There is no wisdom, there is no understanding, and there is no advice
|
||
\q that can stand against Yahweh.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 The horse is prepared for the day of battle,
|
||
\q but the victory belongs to Yahweh.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 22
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 A good name is to be chosen over great riches
|
||
\q and favor is better than silver and gold.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Rich and poor people have this in common—
|
||
\q Yahweh is the maker of all of them.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 A prudent man sees trouble and hides himself,
|
||
\q but the naive go on and suffer because of it.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 The reward for humility and fear of Yahweh
|
||
\q is riches, honor, and life.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Thorns and snares lie in the path of the perverse;
|
||
\q whoever guards his life will keep far from them.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Teach a child the way he should go
|
||
\q and when he is old he will not turn away from that instruction.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 Rich people rule over poor people
|
||
\q and one who borrows is a slave to the one who lends.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 He who sows injustice will reap trouble
|
||
\q and the rod of his fury will fade away.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 The one who has a generous eye will be blessed,
|
||
\q for he shares his bread with the poor.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Drive away the mocker, and out goes strife;
|
||
\q disputes and insults will cease.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 The one who loves a pure heart
|
||
\q and whose speech is gracious,
|
||
\q he will have the king for his friend.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 The eyes of Yahweh keep watch over knowledge,
|
||
\q but he overthrows the words of the treacherous.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 The lazy person says, “There is a lion in the street!
|
||
\q I will be killed in the open places.”
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 The mouth of an adulteress is a deep pit;
|
||
\q Yahweh’s anger is stirred up against anyone who falls into it.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child,
|
||
\q but the rod of discipline drives it far away.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 The one who oppresses poor people to increase his wealth,
|
||
\q or gives to rich people, will come to poverty.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Incline your ear and listen to the words of the wise
|
||
\q and apply your heart to my knowledge,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 for it will be pleasant for you if you keep them within you,
|
||
\q if all of them are ready on your lips.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 So your trust may be in Yahweh,
|
||
\q I teach them to you today—even to you.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Have I not written for you thirty sayings
|
||
\q of instruction and knowledge,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 to teach you truth in these trustworthy words,
|
||
\q so you may give trustworthy answers to those who sent you?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Do not rob the poor because he is poor,
|
||
\q or crush the needy at the gate,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 for Yahweh will plead their case,
|
||
\q and he will rob of life those who robbed them.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 Do not make a friend of someone who is ruled by anger
|
||
\q and you must not go with one who rages,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 or you will learn his ways
|
||
\q and you will take bait for your soul.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Do not be one who strikes hands in making a pledge,
|
||
\q or who puts up security for debts.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 If you lack the means to pay,
|
||
\q what could stop someone from taking away your bed from under you?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 Do not remove the ancient boundary stone
|
||
\q that your fathers have set.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 Do you see a man skilled at his work? He will stand before kings;
|
||
\q he will not stand before common people.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 23
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 When you sit to eat with a ruler,
|
||
\q observe carefully what is before you,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 and put a knife to your throat
|
||
\q if you are a person who likes to eat a lot of food.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Do not crave his delicacies,
|
||
\q for it is the food of lies.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Do not work too hard to gain wealth;
|
||
\q be wise enough to know when to stop.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Will you let your eyes light upon it?
|
||
\q It will be gone,
|
||
\q for it will surely take up wings like an eagle
|
||
\q and fly off to the sky.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Do not eat the food of one with an evil eye—
|
||
\q and do not crave his delicacies,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 for he is the kind of man who counts the price of the food.
|
||
\q “Eat and drink!” he says to you,
|
||
\q but his heart is not with you.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 You will vomit up the little you have eaten
|
||
\q and you will have wasted your compliments.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
|
||
\q for he will despise the wisdom of your words.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Do not move an ancient boundary stone
|
||
\q or encroach on the fields of orphans,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 for their Redeemer is strong
|
||
\q and he will plead their case against you.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 Apply your heart to instruction
|
||
\q and your ears to words of knowledge.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 Do not withhold instruction from a child,
|
||
\q for if you discipline him, he will not die.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 It is you who must beat him with the rod
|
||
\q and save his soul from Sheol.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 My son, if your heart is wise,
|
||
\q then my heart also will be glad;
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 my inmost being will rejoice
|
||
\q when your lips speak what is right.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
|
||
\q but continue in the fear of Yahweh all the day.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Surely there is a future
|
||
\q and your hope will not be cut off.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 Hear—you!—my son, and be wise
|
||
\q and direct your heart in the way.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Do not associate with drunkards,
|
||
\q or with gluttonous eaters of meat,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 for the drunkard and the glutton become poor
|
||
\q and slumber will clothe them with rags.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Listen to your father who begot you
|
||
\q and do not despise your mother when she is old.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Buy the truth, but do not sell it;
|
||
\q buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 The father of the righteous person will greatly rejoice,
|
||
\q and he who begets a wise child will be glad in him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 Let your father and your mother be glad
|
||
\q and let her who bore you rejoice.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 My son, give me your heart
|
||
\q and let your eyes observe my ways.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 For a prostitute is a deep pit,
|
||
\q and an immoral woman is a narrow well.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 She lies in wait like a robber
|
||
\q and she increases the number of the treacherous among humanity.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has fights?
|
||
\q Who has complaining? Who has wounds for no reason?
|
||
\q Who has bloodshot eyes?
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 Those who linger over wine,
|
||
\q those who try the mixed wine.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 Do not look at the wine when it is red,
|
||
\q when it sparkles in the cup
|
||
\q and goes down smoothly.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 In the last it bites like a serpent
|
||
\q and it stings like an adder.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 33 Your eyes will see strange things
|
||
\q and your heart will utter perverse things.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 34 You will be as one who sleeps on the high seas
|
||
\q or lies on the top of a mast.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 35 “They hit me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt.
|
||
\q They beat me, but I did not feel it.
|
||
\q When will I wake up? I will seek another drink.”
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 24
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Do not be envious of those who are evil,
|
||
\q nor desire to associate with them,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 because their hearts plot violence
|
||
\q and their lips talk about trouble.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Through wisdom a house is built
|
||
\q and by understanding it is established.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 By knowledge the rooms are filled
|
||
\q with all precious and pleasant riches.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 A warrior of wisdom is strong,
|
||
\q and a man of knowledge increases his strength;
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 for by wise direction you can wage your war
|
||
\q and with many advisors there is victory.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 Wisdom is too high for a fool;
|
||
\q in the gate he does not open his mouth.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 There is one who plans to do evil—
|
||
\q people call him a master of schemes.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 A foolish plan is sin
|
||
\q and men despise a mocker.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 If you become weak with fear in the day of trouble,
|
||
\q then your strength is small.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Rescue those who are being taken away to death
|
||
\q and hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 If you say, “Behold, we knew nothing about this,”
|
||
\q does not the one who weighs the heart understand what you are saying?
|
||
\q The one who guards your life, does he not know it?
|
||
\q Will God not give to each one what he deserves?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 My son, eat honey because it is good,
|
||
\q because the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 Such is wisdom for your soul—
|
||
\q if you find it, there will be a future
|
||
\q and your hope will not be cut off.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 Do not lie in wait like the wicked person
|
||
\q who attacks the house of the righteous person.
|
||
\q Do not destroy his home!
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 For the righteous person falls down seven times and rises again,
|
||
\q but wicked people are brought down by calamity.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Do not celebrate when your enemy falls
|
||
\q and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 or Yahweh will see and disapprove
|
||
\q and turn away his wrath from him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 Do not worry because of evildoers,
|
||
\q and do not envy wicked people,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 for the evil person has no future
|
||
\q and the lamp of wicked people will go out.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Fear Yahweh, and fear the king, my son;
|
||
\q do not associate with those who rebel against them,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 for suddenly their disaster will come
|
||
\q and who knows the extent of the destruction that will come from both of them?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 23 These also are sayings of the wise.
|
||
\q Partiality in judging a case at law is not good.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 Whoever says to the wicked person, “You are a righteous person,”
|
||
\q will be cursed by peoples and hated by nations.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 But those who discipline the wicked will have delight
|
||
\q and gifts of goodness will come to them.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 The one who gives an honest answer
|
||
\q gives a kiss on the lips.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 Prepare your outdoor work,
|
||
\q and make everything ready for yourself in the field;
|
||
\q after that, build your house.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 Do not bear witness against your neighbor without cause
|
||
\q and do not deceive with your lips.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 Do not say, “I will do to him what he has done to me;
|
||
\q I will pay him back for what he has done.”
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 I went by the field of a lazy man,
|
||
\q past the vineyard of the man having no sense.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 Thorns had grown up everywhere,
|
||
\q the ground was covered with nettles,
|
||
\q and its stone wall was broken down.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 Then I saw and considered it;
|
||
\q I looked and received instruction.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 33 A little sleep, a little slumber,
|
||
\q a little folding of the hands to rest—
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 34 and poverty comes marching upon you,
|
||
\q and your needs like an armed soldier.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 25
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter,
|
||
\q but the glory of kings to search it out.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Like the heavens are for height and the earth is for depth,
|
||
\q so the heart of kings is unsearchable.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Remove the dross from the silver
|
||
\q and a metal worker can use the silver in his craft.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Even so, remove wicked people from the presence of the king
|
||
\q and his throne will be established by doing what is right.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Do not honor yourself in the king’s presence
|
||
\q and do not stand in the place designated for great people.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 It is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”
|
||
\q than for him to humiliate you before a nobleman.
|
||
\q What you have witnessed,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 do not bring quickly to trial.
|
||
\q For what will you do in the end
|
||
\q when your neighbor puts you to shame?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Argue your case between you and your neighbor himself
|
||
\q and do not disclose another’s secret,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 or else the one who hears you will bring shame upon you
|
||
\q and an evil report about you that cannot be silenced.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Apples of gold in settings of silver
|
||
\q2 is a word spoken in the right situation.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 A gold ring or jewelry made of fine gold
|
||
\q is a wise rebuke to a listening ear.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 Like the cold of snow at harvest time
|
||
\q is a faithful messenger for those who sent him;
|
||
\q he brings back the life of his masters.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 Clouds and wind without rain
|
||
\q is the one who boasts about a gift he does not give.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 With patience a ruler can be persuaded
|
||
\q and a soft tongue can break a bone.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 If you find honey, eat just enough—
|
||
\q otherwise, having too much of it, you vomit it up.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Do not set your foot in your neighbor’s house too often,
|
||
\q he may become tired of you and hate you.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 A man who bears false witness against his neighbor
|
||
\q is like a club used in war, or a sword, or a sharp arrow.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 An unfaithful man in whom you trust in a time of trouble
|
||
\q is like a bad tooth or a foot that slips.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Like a person who takes off a garment in cold weather,
|
||
\q or like vinegar poured upon carbonate of soda,
|
||
\q is the one who sings songs to a heavy heart.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat,
|
||
\q and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 for you will shovel coals of fire on his head
|
||
\q and Yahweh will reward you.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 As surely as the north wind brings rain,
|
||
\q so a tongue that tells secrets will result in angry faces.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 It is better to live on a corner of the roof
|
||
\q than in a house shared with a quarreling wife.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 Like cold waters to one who is thirsty,
|
||
\q so is good news from a far country.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Like a fouled spring or a ruined fountain
|
||
\q is a righteous person tottering before wicked people.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 It is not good to eat too much honey;
|
||
\q that is like searching for honor after honor.
|
||
\f + \ft Modern versions have different interpretations of this difficult verse. \f*
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 A person without self-control
|
||
\q is like a city breached and without walls.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 26
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Like snow in summer or rain in harvest,
|
||
\q so a fool does not deserve honor.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 As the sparrow flitters and the swallow darts when they fly,
|
||
\q so an undeserved curse does not alight.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 A whip is for the horse, a bridle is for the donkey
|
||
\q and a rod is for the back of fools.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Do not answer a fool according to his folly,
|
||
\q or you will become like him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Answer a fool and join in on his folly,
|
||
\q so he will not become wise in his own eyes.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
|
||
\q cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 Like the legs of a paralytic which hang down
|
||
\q is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Like tying a stone in a sling
|
||
\q is giving honor to a fool.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard
|
||
\q is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Like an archer who wounds all those around him
|
||
\q is one who hires a fool or hires anyone who passes by.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 As a dog returns to his own vomit,
|
||
\q so is a fool who repeats his folly.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 Do you see someone who is wise in his own eyes?
|
||
\q There is more hope for a fool than for him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 The lazy person says, “There is a lion on the road!
|
||
\q There is a lion between the open places!”
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 As the door turns on its hinges,
|
||
\q so is the lazy person upon his bed.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 The lazy person puts his hand into the dish
|
||
\q and yet he has no strength to lift it up to his mouth.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 The lazy person is wiser in his own eyes
|
||
\q than seven men who respond with good judgment.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Like one who takes hold of the ears of a dog,
|
||
\q is a passerby who becomes angry at a dispute that is not his own.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Like a madman who shoots burning arrows,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 is the one who deceives his neighbor
|
||
\q and says, “Was I not telling a joke?”
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 For lack of wood, the fire goes out;
|
||
\q and where there is no gossiper quarreling ceases.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 As charcoal is to burning coals and wood is to fire,
|
||
\q so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 The words of a gossip are like delicious morsels;
|
||
\q they go down into the inner parts of the body.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Like the glaze overlaying an earthen vessel
|
||
\q so are burning lips and an evil heart.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 One who hates others disguises his feelings with his lips
|
||
\q and he lays up deceit within himself.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 He will speak graciously, but do not believe him,
|
||
\q for there are seven abominations in his heart.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Though his hatred is covered with deception,
|
||
\q his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it
|
||
\q and the stone will roll back on the one who pushed it.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 A lying tongue hates the people it crushes
|
||
\q and a flattering mouth brings about ruin.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 27
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 Do not boast about tomorrow,
|
||
\q for you do not know what a day may bring.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Let someone else praise you and not your own mouth;
|
||
\q a stranger and not your own lips.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Consider the heaviness of a stone and the weight of sand—
|
||
\q the provocation of a fool is heavier than both.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 There is the cruelty of rage and the flood of anger,
|
||
\q but who is able to stand before jealousy?
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Better is an open rebuke
|
||
\q than hidden love.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Faithful are the wounds caused by a friend,
|
||
\q but an enemy may kiss you profusely.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 A person who has eaten to the full rejects even a honeycomb,
|
||
\q but to the hungry person, every bitter thing is sweet.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Like a bird that wanders from its nest
|
||
\q is a man who strays from where he lives.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Perfume and incense make the heart rejoice,
|
||
\q but the sweetness of a friend comes from his sincere counsel.
|
||
\f + \ft Modern versions have different interpretations of this difficult verse. \f*
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Do not forsake your friend and your friend’s father,
|
||
\q and do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your calamity.
|
||
\q Better is a neighbor who is nearby than a brother who is far away.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 Be wise, my son, and make my heart rejoice;
|
||
\q then I will give back an answer to the one who mocks me.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 A prudent man sees trouble and hides himself,
|
||
\q but the naive people go on and suffer because of it.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 Take a garment of one who has put up security for a stranger,
|
||
\q and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an immoral woman.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 Whoever gives his neighbor a blessing with a loud voice early in the morning,
|
||
\q that blessing will be considered to be a curse!
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 A quarreling wife is like
|
||
\q the constant dripping on a rainy day;
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 restraining her is like restraining the wind,
|
||
\q or trying to catch oil in your right hand.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Iron sharpens iron;
|
||
\q in the same way, a man sharpens his friend.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 The one who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
|
||
\q and the one who protects his master will be honored.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 Just as water reflects a person’s face,
|
||
\q so a person’s heart reflects the person.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 Just as Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
|
||
\q so a man’s eyes are never satisfied.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 A crucible is for silver and a furnace is for gold;
|
||
\q and a person is tested when he is praised.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 Even if you crush a fool with the pestle—along with the grain—
|
||
\q yet his foolishness will not leave him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Be sure you know the condition of your flocks
|
||
\q and be concerned about your herds,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 for wealth is not forever.
|
||
\q Does a crown endure for all generations?
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 You should know when the hay is gone and the new growth appears,
|
||
\q and the time when the grass from the hills is gathered in.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Those lambs will provide your clothing
|
||
\q and the goats will provide the price of the field.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 There will be goats’ milk for your food—the food for your household—
|
||
\q and nourishment for your servant girls.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 28
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 The wicked people run away when no one chases them,
|
||
\q but righteous people are as bold as a young lion.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Because of the transgression of a land, it has many rulers,
|
||
\q but with a man of understanding and knowledge, it will last a long time.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 A poor person who oppresses other poor people
|
||
\q is like a beating rain that leaves no food.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Those who forsake the law praise wicked people,
|
||
\q but those who keep the law fight against them.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Evil men do not understand justice,
|
||
\q but those who seek Yahweh understand everything.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 It is better for a poor person who walks in his integrity,
|
||
\q than for a rich person who is crooked in his ways.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 He who keeps the law is a son who has understanding,
|
||
\q but one who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 The one who makes his fortune by charging too much interest
|
||
\q gathers his wealth for another who will have pity on poor people.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 If one turns away his ear from hearing the law,
|
||
\q even his prayer is detestable.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Whoever misleads the upright into an evil way
|
||
\q will fall into his own pit,
|
||
\q but the blameless will have a good inheritance.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 The rich person may be wise in his own eyes,
|
||
\q but a poor person who has understanding will find him out.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 When the righteous triumph, there is great glory;
|
||
\q but when the wicked arise, people are sought out.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 The one who hides his sins will not prosper,
|
||
\q but the one who confesses them and forsakes them will be shown mercy.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 The one who always lives with reverence is blessed,
|
||
\q but whoever hardens his heart will fall into trouble.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
|
||
\q is a wicked ruler over poor people.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 The ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor,
|
||
\q but the one who hates dishonesty will prolong his days.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 If a man is guilty because he has shed someone’s blood,
|
||
\q he will be a fugitive until death
|
||
\q and no one will help him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Whoever walks with integrity will be kept safe,
|
||
\q but the one whose way is crooked will suddenly fall.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 The one who works his land will have plenty of food,
|
||
\q but whoever follows worthless pursuits will have plenty of poverty.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 A faithful man will have great blessings,
|
||
\q but the one who gets rich quickly will not go unpunished.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 It is not good to show partiality,
|
||
\q but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 A stingy man hurries after riches,
|
||
\q but he does not know that poverty will come upon him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Whoever disciplines someone,
|
||
\q afterward will find more favor from him
|
||
\q than from the one who flatters him with his tongue.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 Whoever robs his father and his mother and says, “That is no sin,”
|
||
\q he is the companion of the one who destroys.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 A greedy man stirs up conflict,
|
||
\q but the one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 One who trusts in his own heart is a fool,
|
||
\q but whoever walks in wisdom will keep away from danger.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 The one who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
|
||
\q but whoever closes his eyes to them will receive many curses.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 When the wicked arise, people hide themselves;
|
||
\q but when they perish, the righteous increase.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 29
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 1 A person who has received many rebukes but who stiffens his neck
|
||
\q will be broken in a moment beyond healing.
|
||
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 When righteous people increase, the people rejoice,
|
||
\q but when a wicked person is the ruler, the people sigh.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Whoever loves wisdom makes his father rejoice,
|
||
\q but he who keeps company with prostitutes destroys his wealth.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 The king establishes the land by justice,
|
||
\q but the one who demands bribes tears it down.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 A man who flatters his neighbor
|
||
\q is spreading a net for his feet.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 In the sin of an evil person is a trap,
|
||
\q but the righteous person sings and rejoices.
|
||
\q
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\v 7 The righteous person knows the rights of the poor;
|
||
\q the wicked person does not understand such knowledge.
|
||
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Mockers set a city on fire,
|
||
\q but those who are wise turn away wrath.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 When a wise person has an argument with a fool,
|
||
\q he rages and laughs, and there will be no rest.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 The bloodthirsty hate the one who is blameless
|
||
\q and seek the life of the upright.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 A fool reveals all his anger,
|
||
\q but a wise man holds it back and calms himself down.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 If a ruler pays attention to lies,
|
||
\q all his officials will be wicked.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 The poor person and the oppressor are similar,
|
||
\q for Yahweh gives light to the eyes of them both.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 If a king judges the poor by the truth,
|
||
\q his throne will be established forever.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 The rod and reproof give wisdom,
|
||
\q but a child freed from discipline puts his mother to shame.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 When wicked people are in power, transgression increases,
|
||
\q but righteous people will see the downfall of those wicked people.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 Discipline your son and he will give you rest;
|
||
\q he will bring delights into your life.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 Where there is no prophetic vision the people run wild,
|
||
\q but the one who keeps the law is blessed.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 A slave will not be corrected by words,
|
||
\q for though he understands, there will be no response.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 See a man who is hasty in his words?
|
||
\q There is more hope for a fool than for him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 One who pampers his slave from youth,
|
||
\q at the end of it there will be trouble.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 An angry person stirs up strife
|
||
\q and a master of rage commits many sins.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 A person’s pride brings him low,
|
||
\q but one who has a humble spirit will be given honor.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 One who shares with a thief hates his own life;
|
||
\q he hears the curse and says nothing.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 The fear of man makes a snare,
|
||
\q but the one who trusts in Yahweh will be protected.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 Many are those who seek the face of the ruler,
|
||
\q but from Yahweh is justice for a person.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 An unjust man is an abomination to righteous people,
|
||
\q but the one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked person.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 30
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 The words of Agur son of Jakeh—the utterance:
|
||
\q This man declared to Ithiel, to Ithiel and Ucal:
|
||
\f + \ft Some versions have \fqa This man declared, “I am weary, O God, I am weary. I am unable to do anything.” \fqa* \f*
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 Surely I am more like an animal than any human
|
||
\q and I do not have the understanding of a human being.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 I have not learned wisdom,
|
||
\q nor do I have knowledge of the Holy One.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
|
||
\q Who has gathered up the wind in the hollow of his hands?
|
||
\q Who has gathered up the waters in a cloak?
|
||
\q Who has established all the ends of the earth?
|
||
\q What is his name, and what is the name of his son? Surely you know!
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 Every word of God is tested;
|
||
\q he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Do not add to his words,
|
||
\q or he will discipline you,
|
||
\q and you will be proved to be a liar.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 Two things I ask of you,
|
||
\q do not withhold them from me before I die:
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Put vanity and lies far away from me.
|
||
\q Give me neither poverty nor riches,
|
||
\q just give me the food I need.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 For if I have too much, I might deny you and say, “Who is Yahweh?”
|
||
\q Or if I become poor,
|
||
\q I might steal and profane the name of my God.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Do not slander a slave before his master,
|
||
\q or he will curse you and you will be held guilty.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 There is a generation that curses their father
|
||
\q and does not bless their mother.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 There is a generation that is pure in their own eyes,
|
||
\q and yet they are not washed of their filth.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 There is a generation whose eyes are raised up,
|
||
\q and how high are their eyelids lifted up!
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 There is a generation whose teeth are swords,
|
||
\q and their jawbones are like knives,
|
||
\q so they may devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among humanity.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 The leech has two daughters: “Give and give” they cry.
|
||
\q There are three things that are never satisfied,
|
||
\q four that never say, “Enough”:
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 Sheol; the barren womb;
|
||
\q land that is never satisfied with water;
|
||
\q and the fire that never says, “Enough!”
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 The eye that mocks a father
|
||
\q and scorns obedience to a mother,
|
||
\q his eyes will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
|
||
\q and he will be eaten by the vultures.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 There are three things that are too wonderful for me,
|
||
\q four that I do not understand:
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 the way of an eagle in the sky;
|
||
\q the way of a snake on a rock;
|
||
\q the way of a ship in the heart of the sea;
|
||
\q and the way of a man with a young woman.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 This is the way of an adulteress:
|
||
\q she eats and she wipes her mouth
|
||
\q and says, “I have done nothing wrong.”
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 Under three things the earth trembles,
|
||
\q and under four it cannot bear up:
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 a slave when he becomes king;
|
||
\q a fool when he is filled with food;
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 a hated woman when she marries;
|
||
\q and a maid when she takes the place of her mistress.
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 Four things on earth are small
|
||
\q and yet they are very wise:
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 the ants are creatures that are not strong,
|
||
\q but they prepare their food in the summer;
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 the rock badgers are not mighty creatures,
|
||
\q but they make their homes in the rocks.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 Locusts have no king,
|
||
\q but all of them march in rank.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 As for the lizard, you can hold it in your two hands,
|
||
\q yet they are found in kings’ palaces.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 There are three things that are stately in their stride
|
||
\q and four that are stately in how they walk:
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 a lion, strongest among wild animals—
|
||
\q it does not turn away from anything;
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 a strutting rooster; a goat;
|
||
\q and a king whose soldiers are beside him.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 32 If you have been foolish, exalting yourself,
|
||
\q or if you have been devising evil—
|
||
\q put your hand over your mouth.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 33 As churning milk makes butter
|
||
\q and as one’s nose will produce blood if it is twisted,
|
||
\q so deeds done in anger produce conflict.
|
||
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\c 31
|
||
\p
|
||
\v 1 The words of King Lemuel—an instruction his mother taught him.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 2 What, my son? What is it, son of my womb?
|
||
\q What do you want, son of my vows?
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 3 Do not give your strength to women,
|
||
\q or your ways to those who destroy kings.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 4 It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine,
|
||
\q or for rulers to crave strong drink,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 5 because when they drink they forget what has been decreed,
|
||
\q and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 6 Give strong drink to a person who is perishing
|
||
\q and wine to those in bitter distress.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 7 He will drink and he will forget his poverty
|
||
\q and he will not remember his trouble.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 8 Speak for those who cannot speak,
|
||
\q for the causes of all who are perishing.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 9 Speak out and judge by the measure of what is right
|
||
\q and plead the cause of poor and needy people.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 10 Who can find a capable wife?
|
||
\q Her value is far more than jewels.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
|
||
\q and he will never be poor.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 12 She does good things for him and not evil
|
||
\q all the days of her life.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 13 She selects wool and flax,
|
||
\q and works with the delight of her hands.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 14 She is like the merchant ships;
|
||
\q she brings her food from far away.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 15 She rises while it is night
|
||
\q and gives food to her household,
|
||
\q and she distributes the work for her female servants.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 16 She considers a field and buys it,
|
||
\q with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 17 She dresses herself with strength
|
||
\q and makes her arms strong.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 18 She perceives what will make a good profit for her;
|
||
\q all night long her lamp is not extinguished.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 19 She puts her hands on the spindle,
|
||
\q and she holds the twisting thread.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 20 She reaches out with her hand to poor people;
|
||
\q she reaches out with her hands to needy people.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household,
|
||
\q for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 22 She makes coverings for her bed,
|
||
\q and she wears clothes of fine purple linen.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 23 Her husband is known at the gates,
|
||
\q when he sits with the elders of the land.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
|
||
\q and she supplies sashes to the merchants.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 25 She is clothed with strength and honor,
|
||
\q and she laughs at the time to come.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 26 She opens her mouth with wisdom
|
||
\q and the law of kindness is on her tongue.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 27 She watches over the ways of her household
|
||
\q and does not eat the bread of idleness.
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 28 Her children rise up and call her blessed,
|
||
\q and her husband praises her, saying,
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 29 “Many women have done well,
|
||
\q but you surpassed them all.”
|
||
|
||
\s5
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 30 Elegance is deceptive, beauty is vain,
|
||
\q but a woman who fears Yahweh, she will be praised.
|
||
\q
|
||
\v 31 Give her the fruit of her hands
|
||
\q and let her works praise her in the gates.
|
||
|