10 For (A)wisdom will enter your heart,
And (B)knowledge will be delightful to your soul;
11 Discretion will (C)watch over you,
Understanding will guard you,

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10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will fill you with joy.
11 Wise choices will watch over you.
    Understanding will keep you safe.

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20 So you will (A)walk in the way of good people
And keep to the (B)paths of the righteous.

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20 So follow the steps of the good,
    and stay on the paths of the righteous.

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14 (A)Do not enter the path of the wicked
And do not proceed in the way of evil people.
15 Avoid it, do not pass by it;
Turn away from it and pass on.
16 For they (B)cannot sleep unless they do evil;
And [a]they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 For they (C)eat the bread of wickedness,
And drink the wine of violence.
18 But the (D)path of the righteous is like the (E)light of dawn
That (F)shines brighter and brighter until the (G)full day.
19 The (H)way of the wicked is like darkness;
They do not know over what they [b](I)stumble.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 4:16 Lit their sleep is robbed
  2. Proverbs 4:19 Or may stumble

14 Don’t do as the wicked do,
    and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
    Turn away and keep moving.
16 For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
    They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
17 They eat the food of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence!

18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
    which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
    They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

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20 (A)One who walks with wise people will be wise,
But a companion of fools will suffer harm.

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20 Walk with the wise and become wise;
    associate with fools and get in trouble.

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28 A perverse person spreads strife,
And a [a]slanderer separates close friends.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:28 Or gossip

28 A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
    gossip separates the best of friends.

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12 Let a (A)person meet a (B)bear robbed of her cubs,
Rather than a fool in his foolishness.

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12 It is safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than to confront a fool caught in foolishness.

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17 A (A)friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

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17 A friend is always loyal,
    and a brother is born to help in time of need.

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24 A person of too many friends comes to [a]ruin,
But there is (A)a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:24 Lit be broken in pieces

24 There are “friends” who destroy each other,
    but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

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(A)Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor person is separated from his friend.

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Wealth makes many “friends”;
    poverty drives them all away.

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(A)Many will seek the favor of a [a]generous person,
And every person is a friend to (B)him who gives gifts.
All the brothers of a poor person hate him;
How much more do his (C)friends abandon him!
He (D)pursues them with words, but they are [b]gone.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:6 Or noble
  2. Proverbs 19:7 Lit not

Many seek favors from a ruler;
    everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!

The relatives of the poor despise them;
    how much more will their friends avoid them!
Though the poor plead with them,
    their friends are gone.

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19 One who (A)goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with [a](B)a gossip.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:19 Lit one who opens his lips

19 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    so don’t hang around with chatterers.

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24 Do not make friends with a person given to anger,
Or go with a (A)hot-tempered person,
25 Or you will (B)learn his ways
And [a]find a snare for yourself.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:25 Lit take

24 Don’t befriend angry people
    or associate with hot-tempered people,
25 or you will learn to be like them
    and endanger your soul.

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