18 Poverty and disgrace come to him who (A)ignores instruction,
    (B)but whoever (C)heeds reproof is honored.

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18 Whoever disregards discipline comes to poverty and shame,(A)
    but whoever heeds correction is honored.(B)

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(A)A fool (B)despises his father's instruction,
    but (C)whoever heeds reproof is prudent.

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A fool spurns a parent’s discipline,
    but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.(A)

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31 (A)The ear that listens to (B)life-giving reproof
    will dwell among the wise.
32 Whoever (C)ignores instruction (D)despises himself,
    but he who listens to reproof (E)gains intelligence.

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31 Whoever heeds life-giving correction
    will be at home among the wise.(A)

32 Those who disregard discipline despise themselves,(B)
    but the one who heeds correction gains understanding.(C)

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12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but he who (A)hates reproof is (B)stupid.

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12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but whoever hates correction is stupid.(A)

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12 Like (A)a gold ring or an ornament of gold
    is a wise reprover to (B)a listening ear.

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12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
    is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.(A)

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13 Whoever (A)despises (B)the word[a] brings destruction on himself,
    but he who reveres the commandment[b] will be (C)rewarded.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:13 Or a word
  2. Proverbs 13:13 Or a commandment

13 Whoever scorns instruction will pay for it,(A)
    but whoever respects(B) a command is rewarded.(C)

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Give instruction[a] to a wise man, and he will be (A)still wiser;
    teach a righteous man, and he will (B)increase in learning.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:9 Hebrew lacks instruction

Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
    teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.(A)

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Many seek the favor of a generous man,[a]
    and everyone is a friend to a man who gives (A)gifts.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:6 Or of a noble

Many curry favor with a ruler,(A)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.(B)

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lest you give your honor to others
    and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
    and your (A)labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you (B)groan,
    when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, (C)“How I hated discipline,
    and my heart (D)despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
    or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 (E)I am at the brink of utter ruin
    in the assembled congregation.”

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lest you lose your honor to others
    and your dignity[a] to one who is cruel,
10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
    and your toil enrich the house of another.(A)
11 At the end of your life you will groan,
    when your flesh and body are spent.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    How my heart spurned correction!(B)
13 I would not obey my teachers
    or turn my ear to my instructors.
14 And I was soon in serious trouble(C)
    in the assembly of God’s people.”(D)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 5:9 Or years

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For (A)if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

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25 See to it that you do not refuse(A) him who speaks.(B) If they did not escape when they refused him who warned(C) them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?(D)

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O Lord, do not your eyes look for truth?
(A)You have struck them down,
    but they felt no anguish;
you have consumed them,
    but they refused to take correction.
(B)They have made their faces harder than rock;
    they have refused to repent.

Then I said, “These are only the poor;
    they have no sense;
(C)for they do not know the way of the Lord,
    the justice of their God.
I will go to the great
    and will speak to them,
for they know the way of the Lord,
    the justice of their God.”
(D)But they all alike had broken the yoke;
    they had burst the bonds.

Therefore (E)a lion from the forest shall strike them down;
    a (F)wolf from the desert shall devastate them.
(G)A leopard is watching their cities;
    everyone who goes out of them shall be torn in pieces,
because their transgressions are many,
    their (H)apostasies are great.

(I)“How can I pardon you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    (J)and have sworn by those who are no gods.
(K)When I fed them to the full,
    (L)they committed adultery
    (M)and trooped to the houses of whores.
They were well-fed, lusty stallions,
    (N)each neighing (O)for his neighbor's wife.
(P)Shall I not punish them for these things?
declares the Lord;
    and shall I not avenge myself
    on a nation such as this?

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Lord, do not your eyes(A) look for truth?
    You struck(B) them, but they felt no pain;
    you crushed them, but they refused correction.(C)
They made their faces harder than stone(D)
    and refused to repent.(E)
I thought, “These are only the poor;
    they are foolish,(F)
for they do not know(G) the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.
So I will go to the leaders(H)
    and speak to them;
surely they know the way of the Lord,
    the requirements of their God.”
But with one accord they too had broken off the yoke
    and torn off the bonds.(I)
Therefore a lion from the forest(J) will attack them,
    a wolf from the desert will ravage(K) them,
a leopard(L) will lie in wait near their towns
    to tear to pieces any who venture out,
for their rebellion is great
    and their backslidings many.(M)

“Why should I forgive you?
    Your children have forsaken me
    and sworn(N) by gods that are not gods.(O)
I supplied all their needs,
    yet they committed adultery(P)
    and thronged to the houses of prostitutes.(Q)
They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
    each neighing for another man’s wife.(R)
Should I not punish them for this?”(S)
    declares the Lord.
“Should I not avenge(T) myself
    on such a nation as this?

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(A)Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
    let my head not refuse it.
Yet (B)my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

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Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me(A)—that is oil on my head.(B)
My head will not refuse it,
    for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

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