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16 Gifts clear the way for people,
    winning access to the great.(A)
17 Those who plead the case first seem to be in the right;
    then the opponent comes and cross-examines them.[a]
18 The lot puts an end to disputes,
    and decides a controversy between the mighty.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 18:17 A persuasive speech in court can easily make one forget there is another side to the question. When the other party speaks, people realize they made a premature judgment. The experience at court is a lesson for daily life: there are two sides to every question.
  2. 18:18 See note on 16:33.