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In the mouth of the fool is a rod for pride,
    but the lips of the wise preserve them.
Where there are no oxen, the crib is clean;
    but abundant crops come through the strength of the bull.[a]
A trustworthy witness does not lie,
    but one who spouts lies makes a lying witness.[b](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 14:4 If one has no animals, one does not have the burden of keeping the crib full, but without them one will have no crops to fill the barn. Colon B reverses the sense of colon A and also reverses the consonants of bar (“clean”) to rab (“abundant”).
  2. 14:5 On discerning the truthfulness of witnesses; see 12:17.

A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,(A)
    but the lips of the wise protect them.(B)

Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,
    but from the strength of an ox(C) come abundant harvests.

An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.(D)

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