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Fourth Address to a Son:
Practice Wisdom Toward Your Neighbor

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due
    when it is within your power to give it.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Go away! Come back some other time.
I will give something to you tomorrow,”
when in fact it is already with you right now.
29 Do not plan harm against your neighbor
    when he is living with you peacefully.
30 Do not quarrel with a person for no good reason
    when he has done nothing to harm you.
31 Do not envy a violent person.
Do not choose any of his ways,
32 because a crooked person is an abomination[a] to the Lord,
but God’s friendly guidance leads[b] the upright.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:32 Or is disgusting or is repulsive
  2. Proverbs 3:32 Or intimate counsel guides

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
    “Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
    when you already have it with you.(A)
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
    who lives trustfully near you.(B)
30 Do not accuse anyone for no reason—
    when they have done you no harm.

31 Do not envy(C) the violent
    or choose any of their ways.

32 For the Lord detests the perverse(D)
    but takes the upright into his confidence.(E)

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Treasures gained by wickedness produce no profit,
but righteousness saves from death.

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Ill-gotten treasures have no lasting value,(A)
    but righteousness delivers from death.(B)

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Righteous Behavior

11 Dishonest scales are disgusting[a] to the Lord
but an accurate weight wins his approval.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:1 Or repulsive or an abomination

11 The Lord detests dishonest scales,(A)
    but accurate weights find favor with him.(B)

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Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life.
Whoever opens his lips carelessly ruins himself.

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Those who guard their lips(A) preserve their lives,(B)
    but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.(C)

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11 Wealth gained out of thin air[a] shrinks,
but wealth accumulated by steady work grows.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:11 Or dishonestly. A variant in the versions is too quickly.

11 Dishonest money dwindles away,(A)
    but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

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Whoever walks in the right way fears the Lord,
but a person who is devious in his ways despises him.

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Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

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A faithful witness does not lie,
but a false witness breathes lies.

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An honest witness does not deceive,
    but a false witness pours out lies.(A)

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27 Someone who is greedy for gain brings trouble to his own household,
but a person who hates bribes will live.

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27 The greedy bring ruin to their households,
    but the one who hates bribes will live.(A)

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Through mercy and truth, guilt is atoned for,
and through the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil.

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Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
    through the fear of the Lord(A) evil is avoided.(B)

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Wisdom for a King and His Subjects

Better a little with righteousness
    than a large income without justice.

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Better a little with righteousness
    than much gain(A) with injustice.(B)

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11 An accurate balance and scales belong to the Lord.
He has made all the weights in the bag.

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11 Honest scales and balances belong to the Lord;
    all the weights in the bag are of his making.(A)

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A wise slave will rule over a shameful son.
He will share the inheritance with the brothers.

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A prudent servant will rule over a disgraceful son
    and will share the inheritance as one of the family.

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A bribe works like a charm for the person who gives it.
Wherever he turns, he prospers.

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A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it;
    they think success will come at every turn.(A)

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