The fear of the Lord
is the beginning of knowledge;(A)
fools despise wisdom and discipline.(B)

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32 For the turning away of the inexperienced will kill them,(A)
and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

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35 The wise will inherit honor,
but He holds up fools to dishonor.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:35 Or but haughty fools dishonor, or but fools exalt dishonor

14 The wise store up knowledge,
but the mouth of the fool hastens destruction.(A)

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21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.(A)

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23 As shameful conduct is pleasure for a fool,(A)
so wisdom is for a man of understanding.

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29 The one who brings ruin on his household(A)
will inherit the wind,(B)
and a fool will be a slave
to someone whose heart is wise.

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The proud speech of a fool brings a rod of discipline,[a]
but the lips of the wise protect them.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:3 Some emend to In the mouth of a fool is a rod for his back

The sensible man’s wisdom is to consider his way,
but the stupidity of fools deceives them.

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Fools mock at making restitution,[a]
but there is goodwill among the upright.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:9 Or at guilt offerings

16 A wise man is cautious and turns from evil,(A)
but a fool is easily angered and is careless.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:16 Or and falls

24 The crown of the wise is their wealth,
but the foolishness of fools produces foolishness.

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33 Wisdom resides in the heart of the discerning;(A)
she is known[a] even among fools.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 14:33 LXX reads unknown

The tongue of the wise makes knowledge attractive,
but the mouth of fools blurts out foolishness.(A)

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A fool despises his father’s discipline,
but a person who accepts correction is sensible.(A)

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The lips of the wise broadcast knowledge,
but not so the heart of fools.

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14 A discerning mind seeks knowledge,(A)
but the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness.(B)

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22 Insight is a fountain of life(A) for its possessor,
but the discipline of fools is folly.

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Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips;
how much worse are lies for a ruler.

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10 A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person
more than a hundred lashes into a fool.

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12 Better for a man to meet a bear robbed of her cubs(A)
than a fool in his foolishness.

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16 Why does a fool have money in his hand
with no intention of buying wisdom?(A)

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21 A man fathers a fool to his own sorrow;
the father of a fool has no joy.(A)

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24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes(A) roam to the ends of the earth.

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