²¹ The words of the godly encourage many,
    but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

⁶ My people are being destroyed
    because they don’t know me.
Since you priests refuse to know me,
    I refuse to recognize you as my priests.
Since you have forgotten the laws of your God,
    I will forget to bless your children.

¹⁶ It is senseless to pay to educate a fool,
    since he has no heart for learning.

²⁹ For they hated knowledge
    and chose not to fear the Lord.

³ “In the past you have encouraged many people;
    you have strengthened those who were weak.
⁴ Your words have supported those who were falling;
    you encouraged those with shaky knees.

⁴ Gentle words are a tree of life;
    a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

²³ He will die for lack of self-control;
    he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

¹² You will say, “How I hated discipline!
    If only I had not ignored all the warnings!