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

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Footnotes

  1. 17:11 Or a merciless angel

11 Evil people seek only rebellion,
    but a cruel messenger will be sent against them.

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19 One who loves to offend loves strife;(A)
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

20 One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.(B)

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19 One who loves transgression loves strife;
    one who builds a high threshold invites broken bones.(A)
20 The crooked of mind do not prosper,
    and the perverse of tongue fall into calamity.(B)

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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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24 The discerning person looks to wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool to the ends of the earth.(A)

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18 One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires;
he rebels against all sound wisdom.

A fool does not delight in understanding,
but only wants to show off his opinions.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 18:2 Lit to uncover his heart

18 The one who lives alone is self-indulgent,
    showing contempt for all sound judgment.[a]
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only in expressing personal opinion.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 18.1 Meaning of Heb uncertain

14 “It’s worthless, it’s worthless!” the buyer says,
but after he is on his way, he gloats.

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14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
    then goes away and boasts.

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29 A wicked person puts on a bold face,(A)
but the upright one considers his way.

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29 The wicked put on a bold face,
    but the upright give thought to[a] their ways.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 21.29 Or establish

10 Drive out a mocker,(A) and conflict goes too;
then quarreling and dishonor will cease.(B)

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10 Drive out a scoffer, and strife goes out;
    quarreling and abuse will cease.(A)

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The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,(A)
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

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Whoever sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and the rod of anger will fail.(A)

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26 Don’t be one of those who enter agreements,[a]
who put up security for loans.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 22:26 Lit Don’t be among hand slappers

26 Do not be one of those who give pledges,
    who become surety for debts.(A)

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23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
consider carefully what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
if you have a big[b] appetite;
don’t desire his choice food,(A)
for that food is deceptive.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:1 Or who
  2. 23:2 Lit you are the master of an

23 When you sit down to eat with an official,
    observe carefully what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
    if you have a big appetite.
Do not desire an official’s[b] delicacies,
    for they are deceptive food.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.1 Or who
  2. 23.3 Heb his

Don’t eat a stingy person’s bread,[a](A)
and don’t desire his choice food,(B)
for it’s like someone calculating inwardly.[b](C)
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.(D)
You will vomit the little you’ve eaten
and waste your pleasant words.

Don’t speak to[c] a fool,
for he will despise the insight of your words.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 23:6 Lit eat bread of an evil eye
  2. 23:7 LXX reads it is like someone swallowing a hair in the throat
  3. 23:9 Lit in the ears of

Do not eat the bread of the stingy;
    do not desire their delicacies,(A)
for like a hair in the throat, so are they.[a]
    “Eat and drink!” they say to you,
    but they do not mean it.(B)
You will vomit up the little you have eaten,
    and you will waste your pleasant words.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
    who will only despise the wisdom of your words.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 23.7 Meaning of Heb uncertain

The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand(A)
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.(B)

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It is like cutting off one’s foot and drinking down violence,
    to send a message by a fool.

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