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21 My child, fear the Lord and the king,
    and do not disobey either of them,[a](A)
22 for disaster comes from them suddenly,
    and who knows the ruin that both can bring?

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Footnotes

  1. 24.21 Gk: Heb do not associate with those who change

21 My son, (A)fear the Lord and the king,
    and do not join with those who do otherwise,
22 for disaster will arise suddenly from them,
    and who knows the ruin that will come from them both?

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Saying 30

21 Fear the Lord and the king,(A) my son,
    and do not join with rebellious officials,
22 for those two will send sudden destruction(B) on them,
    and who knows what calamities they can bring?

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It is the glory of God to conceal things,
    but the glory of kings is to search things out.(A)
Like the heavens for height, like the earth for depth,
    so the mind of kings is unsearchable.

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It is the glory of God to (A)conceal things,
    but the glory of kings is to (B)search things out.
As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
    so the heart of kings is (C)unsearchable.

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It is the glory of God to conceal a matter;
    to search out a matter is the glory of kings.(A)
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
    so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

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Take away the dross from the silver,
    and the smith has material for a vessel;(A)
take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.(B)

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Take away (A)the dross from the silver,
    and (B)the smith has material for a vessel;
take away (C)the wicked from the presence of the king,
    and his (D)throne will be established in righteousness.

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Remove the dross from the silver,
    and a silversmith can produce a vessel;
remove wicked officials from the king’s presence,(A)
    and his throne will be established(B) through righteousness.(C)

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Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
    or stand in the place of the great,
for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
    than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen(A)

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Do not put yourself forward in the king's presence
    or stand in the place of the great,
for (A)it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
    than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen

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Do not exalt yourself in the king’s presence,
    and do not claim a place among his great men;
it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here,”(A)
    than for him to humiliate you before his nobles.

What you have seen with your eyes

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By justice a king gives stability to the land,
    but one who makes heavy exactions ruins it.

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By justice a king (A)builds up the land,
    but he who exacts gifts[a] tears it down.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:4 Or who taxes heavily

By justice a king gives a country stability,(A)
    but those who are greedy for[a] bribes tear it down.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:4 Or who give

14 If a king judges the poor with equity,
    his throne will be established forever.(A)

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14 If a king (A)faithfully judges the poor,
    his throne will (B)be established forever.

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14 If a king judges the poor with fairness,
    his throne will be established forever.(A)

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It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings to drink wine
    or for rulers to desire[a] strong drink,(A)
lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
Give strong drink to one who is perishing
    and wine to those in bitter distress;
let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.

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Footnotes

  1. 31.4 Cn: Heb where

(A)It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings (B)to drink wine,
    or for rulers to take (C)strong drink,
lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and (D)pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
Give strong drink to the one who (E)is perishing,
    and wine to (F)those in bitter distress;[a]
(G)let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:6 Hebrew those bitter in soul

It is not for kings, Lemuel—
    it is not for kings to drink wine,(A)
    not for rulers to crave beer,
lest they drink(B) and forget what has been decreed,(C)
    and deprive all the oppressed of their rights.
Let beer be for those who are perishing,
    wine(D) for those who are in anguish!
Let them drink(E) and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.

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