11 A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

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

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19 One who (A)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who (B)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked [a]mind (C)finds nothing good,
And one who is [b](D)corrupted in his language falls into evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:20 Lit heart
  2. Proverbs 17:20 Lit altered in his tongue

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 in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the (A)eyes of a fool are on 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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Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

18 One who separates himself seeks his own desire;
He [a](A)quarrels against all sound wisdom.
A fool does not delight in understanding,
But (B)in revealing his own [b]mind.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:1 Lit breaks out
  2. Proverbs 18:2 Lit 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 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
But when he goes his way, then he boasts.

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

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29 A wicked person [a](A)displays a bold face,
But as for the (B)upright, he makes his way sure.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:29 Lit makes firm with his face

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 (A)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.

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

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One who (A)sows injustice will reap disaster,
And the (B)rod of his fury will perish.

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

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26 Do not be among those who (A)shake hands,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.

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

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On Life and Conduct

23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully [a]what is before you,
And put a knife to your throat
If you are a (A)person of great appetite.
Do not (B)desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:1 Or who

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

(A)Do not eat the bread of [a]a (B)selfish person;
Or desire his delicacies;
For as he [b]thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, “Eat and drink!”
But (C)his heart is not with you.
You will (D)vomit up [c]the morsel you have eaten
And waste your [d]compliments.

(E)Do not speak [e]to be heard by a fool,
For he will (F)despise the wisdom of your words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:6 Lit an evil eye
  2. Proverbs 23:7 Lit reckons in his soul
  3. Proverbs 23:8 Lit your
  4. Proverbs 23:8 Lit pleasant words
  5. Proverbs 23:9 Lit in the ears of a

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

One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.

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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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