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28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe.
    His throne is sustained by love.

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28 Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king;
    his throne is made secure through love.

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28 Love and faithfulness keep a king safe;
    through love(A) his throne is made secure.(B)

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The way of the guilty is devious,
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

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The guilty walk a crooked path;
    the innocent travel a straight road.

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The way of the guilty is devious,(A)
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

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29 A wicked man hardens his face;
    but as for the upright, he establishes his ways.

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29 The wicked bluff their way through,
    but the virtuous think before they act.

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29 The wicked put up a bold front,
    but the upright give thought to their ways.(A)

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10 Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out;
    yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
11 He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully
    is the king’s friend.

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10 Throw out the mocker, and fighting goes, too.
    Quarrels and insults will disappear.

11 Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech
    will have the king as a friend.

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10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
    quarrels and insults are ended.(A)

11 One who loves a pure heart and who speaks with grace
    will have the king for a friend.(B)

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23 When you sit to eat with a ruler,
    consider diligently what is before you;
put a knife to your throat,
    if you are a man given to appetite.
Don’t be desirous of his dainties,
    since they are deceitful food.

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23 While dining with a ruler,
    pay attention to what is put before you.
If you are a big eater,
    put a knife to your throat;
don’t desire all the delicacies,
    for he might be trying to trick you.

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Saying 7

23 When you sit to dine with a ruler,
    note well what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to gluttony.
Do not crave his delicacies,(A)
    for that food is deceptive.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:1 Or who

Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye,
    and don’t crave his delicacies:
    for as he thinks about the cost, so he is.
    “Eat and drink!” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up,
    and lose your good words.

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Don’t eat with people who are stingy;
    don’t desire their delicacies.
They are always thinking about how much it costs.[a]
    “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.
You will throw up what little you’ve eaten,
    and your compliments will be wasted.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

Saying 9

Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
    do not crave his delicacies;(A)
for he is the kind of person
    who is always thinking about the cost.[a]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten
    and will have wasted your compliments.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he thinks within himself, / so he is; or for as he puts on a feast, / so he is

Take away the wicked from the king’s presence,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

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Remove the wicked from the king’s court,
    and his reign will be made secure by justice.

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remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,(A)
    and his throne will be established(B) through righteousness.(C)

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One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
    is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

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Trusting a fool to convey a message
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison!

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Sending a message by the hands of a fool(A)
    is like cutting off one’s feet or drinking poison.

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10 As an archer who wounds all,
    so is he who hires a fool
    or he who hires those who pass by.

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10 An employer who hires a fool or a bystander
    is like an archer who shoots at random.

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10 Like an archer who wounds at random
    is one who hires a fool or any passer-by.

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