24 The diligent hand will rule,
but laziness will lead to forced labor.(A)

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24 The hand of the diligent ones will rule,
    but the lazy will belong to forced labor.

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

11 An evil man seeks only rebellion;
a cruel messenger[a](A) will be sent against him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:11 Or a merciless angel

10 A rebuke strikes him who understands
    deeper than one hundred blows to a fool.
11 An evil person will seek only rebellion,
    and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

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Many a man proclaims his own loyalty,
but who can find a trustworthy man?(A)

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Many a person will proclaim his loyalty for himself,
    but a man who is trustworthy, who can find?

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A king sitting on a throne to judge
sifts out all evil with his eyes.(A)

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A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    winnows all evil with his eyes.

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30 Lashes and wounds purge away evil,(A)
and beatings cleanse the innermost parts.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:30 Lit beatings the chambers of the belly

30 The blows of a wound will cleanse evil,
    as will[a] beatings of the innermost part.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:30 Hebrew “and”
  2. Proverbs 20:30 Literally “parts of the inmost”

11 The one who loves a pure heart
and gracious lips—the king is his friend.(A)

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11 He who loves purity of heart
    and hasgracious speech,[a] his friend is the king.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:11 Literally “grace of his lips”

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter(A)
and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.

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The glory of God[a] conceals things,
    but the glory of kings searches out things.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:2 Or “gods”

Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,(A)
and his throne will be established in righteousness.(B)

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Remove the wicked before a king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:5 Hebrew “in the righteousness”

21 It is not good to show partiality(A)
yet a man may sin for a piece of bread.(B)

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21 Showing partiality[a] is not good,
    and over a morsel of bread, a strong man will do wrong.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:21 Literally “Recognizing faces”

12 If a ruler listens to lies,(A)
all his officials will be wicked.

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12 A ruler listening to a word of falsehood,
    all his officials are wicked.

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19 A slave cannot be disciplined by words;
though he understands, he doesn’t respond.(A)

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19 By words, a servant is not disciplined,
    for he will understand, but there is no giving heed.

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21 A slave pampered from his youth
will become arrogant[a] later on.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:21 Hb obscure

21 He who pampers his servant from childhood,
    arrogance will be his end.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:21 Literally “and its/his end will be arrogance”