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20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
    that you may gain wisdom for the future.(A)

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20 Listen to advice and accept discipline,(A)
    and at the end you will be counted among the wise.(B)

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15 Fools think their own way is right,
    but the wise listen to advice.(A)

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15 The way of fools seems right to them,(A)
    but the wise listen to advice.(B)

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34 Happy is the one who listens to me,
    watching daily at my gates,
    waiting beside my doors.(A)
35 For whoever finds me finds life
    and obtains favor from the Lord,(B)

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34 Blessed are those who listen(A) to me,
    watching daily at my doors,
    waiting at my doorway.
35 For those who find me(B) find life(C)
    and receive favor from the Lord.(D)

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The Value of Wisdom

My child, if you accept my words
    and treasure up my commandments within you,(A)
making your ear attentive to wisdom
    and inclining your heart to understanding,
if you indeed cry out for insight
    and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasures—(B)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.(C)
For the Lord gives wisdom;
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;(D)
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
    he is a shield to those who walk blamelessly,(E)
guarding the paths of justice
    and preserving the way of his faithful ones.(F)
Then you will understand righteousness and justice
    and equity, every good path,(G)

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Moral Benefits of Wisdom

My son,(A) if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding(B)
indeed, if you call out for insight(C)
    and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,(D)
then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God.(E)
For the Lord gives wisdom;(F)
    from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.(G)
He holds success in store for the upright,
    he is a shield(H) to those whose walk is blameless,(I)
for he guards the course of the just
    and protects the way of his faithful ones.(J)

Then you will understand(K) what is right and just
    and fair—every good path.

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Warnings against Evil Companions

Hear, my child, your father’s instruction,
    and do not reject your mother’s teaching,(A)

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Prologue: Exhortations to Embrace Wisdom

Warning Against the Invitation of Sinful Men

Listen, my son,(A) to your father’s(B) instruction
    and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.(C)

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Parental Advice

Listen, children, to a father’s instruction,
    and be attentive, that you may gain[a] insight,(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 4.1 Heb know

Get Wisdom at Any Cost

Listen, my sons,(A) to a father’s instruction;(B)
    pay attention and gain understanding.(C)

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The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,(A) 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham.[a] The rich man also died and was buried.(B) 23 In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side.[b](C)

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Footnotes

  1. 16.22 Gk to Abraham’s bosom
  2. 16.23 Gk in his bosom

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.(A) 20 At his gate was laid a beggar(B) named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table.(C) Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.

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37 Mark the blameless and behold the upright,
    for there is posterity for the peaceable.(A)

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37 Consider the blameless,(A) observe the upright;(B)
    a future awaits those who seek peace.[a](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 37:37 Or upright; / those who seek peace will have posterity

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob
    or number the dust cloud[a] of Israel?
Let me die the death of the upright,
    and let my end be like his!”(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.10 Or fourth part

10 Who can count the dust of Jacob(A)
    or number even a fourth of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,(B)
    and may my final end be like theirs!(C)

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14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.(A)

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14 Satisfy(A) us in the morning with your unfailing love,(B)
    that we may sing for joy(C) and be glad all our days.(D)

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12 So teach us to count our days
    that we may gain a wise heart.(A)

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12 Teach us to number our days,(A)
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.(B)

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16 He fed you in the wilderness with manna that your ancestors did not know, to humble you and to test you and in the end to do you good.(A)

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16 He gave you manna(A) to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known,(B) to humble and test(C) you so that in the end it might go well with you.

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29 If they were wise, they would understand this;
    they would discern what their end would be.(A)

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29 If only they were wise and would understand this(A)
    and discern what their end will be!(B)

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