32 Whoever (A)ignores instruction (B)despises himself,
    but he who listens to reproof (C)gains intelligence.

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

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24 (A)Because I have called and (B)you refused to listen,
    have (C)stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
25 because you have (D)ignored all my counsel
    and (E)would have none of my reproof,
26 I also (F)will laugh at your calamity;
    I will mock when (G)terror strikes you,
27 when terror strikes you like (H)a storm
    and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
    when distress and anguish come upon you.
28 (I)Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
    they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
29 Because they (J)hated knowledge
    and (K)did not choose the fear of the Lord,
30 (L)would have none of my counsel
    and (M)despised all my reproof,
31 therefore they shall eat (N)the fruit of their way,
    and have (O)their fill of their own devices.
32 For the simple are killed by (P)their turning away,
    and (Q)the complacency of fools destroys them;
33 but (R)whoever listens to me will dwell secure
    and will be (S)at ease, without dread of disaster.”

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24 But since you refuse(A) to listen when I call(B)
    and no one pays attention(C) when I stretch out my hand,
25 since you disregard all my advice
    and do not accept my rebuke,
26 I in turn will laugh(D) when disaster(E) strikes you;
    I will mock(F) when calamity overtakes you(G)
27 when calamity overtakes you like a storm,
    when disaster(H) sweeps over you like a whirlwind,
    when distress and trouble overwhelm you.

28 “Then they will call to me but I will not answer;(I)
    they will look for me but will not find me,(J)
29 since they hated knowledge
    and did not choose to fear the Lord.(K)
30 Since they would not accept my advice
    and spurned my rebuke,(L)
31 they will eat the fruit of their ways
    and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.(M)
32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them;(N)
33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety(O)
    and be at ease, without fear of harm.”(P)

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19 (A)Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

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19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.(A) So be earnest and repent.(B)

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(A)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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The fear of the Lord(A) is the beginning of knowledge,
    but fools[a] despise wisdom(B) and instruction.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:7 The Hebrew words rendered fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, denote a person who is morally deficient.

Build Your House on the Rock

24 (A)“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like (B)a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like (C)a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

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The Wise and Foolish Builders(A)

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice(B) is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

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Why will you still be (A)struck down?
    Why will you (B)continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
    and the whole heart faint.

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Why should you be beaten(A) anymore?
    Why do you persist(B) in rebellion?(C)
Your whole head is injured,
    your whole heart(D) afflicted.(E)

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15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge,
    and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

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15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge,(A)
    for the ears of the wise seek it out.

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22 But be (A)doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

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22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.(A)

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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.

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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)

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29 (A)He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck,
    will suddenly be (B)broken (C)beyond healing.

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29 Whoever remains stiff-necked(A) after many rebukes
    will suddenly be destroyed(B)—without remedy.(C)

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16 Why should a fool have money in his hand (A)to buy wisdom
    when he has no sense?

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16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom,
    when they are not able to understand it?(A)

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21 (A)Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
    but a man of understanding (B)walks straight ahead.

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21 Folly brings joy to one who has no sense,(A)
    but whoever has understanding keeps a straight course.

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14 (A)The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
    but the mouths of fools feed on folly.

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14 The discerning heart seeks knowledge,(A)
    but the mouth of a fool feeds on folly.

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