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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of[a] knowledge,
but stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:7 Or prerequisite for or most important part of

Fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
    wisdom and instruction, fools despise.

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22 “How long will you gullible[a] people love being gullible?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing?
How long will fools hate knowledge?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:22 Or naïve

22 How long,[a] O simple ones, will you love simplicity?
    And how long will scoffers delight in their scoffing,
    and fools hate knowledge?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:22 Literally “Until when”

32 Therefore the wandering ways[a] of the gullible kill them,
and the complacency of fools destroys them.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:32 Or apostasy

32 for the waywardness of the simple ones will kill them,
    and the complacency of fools will destroy them.

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You gullible people, get good judgment.[a]
You fools, take this to heart.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:5 Or prudence

Learn prudence, O simple ones;
    fools, learn intelligence.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:5 Literally “heart”

Lady Folly’s Banquet

13 The woman Folly is boisterous.
She is deluded. She knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
on a throne on the heights of the city,
15 in order to call to those who pass by on the street,
those who are simply going along on their way,
16 “Whoever is gullible, let him turn in here.”
To someone who lacks sense she says,
17 “Stolen waters are sweet,
and food eaten in secret is delicious.”
18 But he does not know that the souls of the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of hell.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:18 Or the grave

13 A woman of foolishness is loud,
    simple, and does not know it.[a]
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    upon a throne at the high places of town,
15 in order to call to those who pass by the road,
    those who go straight on their way:
16 “Whoever is simple, may he turn here!”
    As for he who lacks sense,[b] she says to him,
17 “Stolen waters are sweet,
    and bread of secrecy is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the dead[c] are there,
    in the depths of Sheol[d] are her guests.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:13 Literally “what”
  2. Proverbs 9:16 Literally “heart”
  3. Proverbs 9:18 Or “Rephaim”
  4. Proverbs 9:18 A term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the Underworld

A wise heart accepts commands,
but a babbling fool will be ruined.

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A heart of wisdom will heed commandments,
    but a babbling fool will come to ruin.

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18 Whoever conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads gossip is a fool.

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18 He who conceals hatred has lips of deceit,
    and he who utters slander—he is a fool.

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23 Carrying out a wicked scheme is a game for the fool,
but wisdom gives pleasure to a person with understanding.

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23 It is like a sport for a fool to do wrong,
    wisdom for a person of understanding.

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29 Whoever troubles his household will inherit the wind,
and a stubborn fool will be a slave to a person with a wise heart.

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29 He who brings trouble to his household, he will inherit wind,[a]
    and a fool will serve the wise of heart.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:29 Or “breath, spirit”

15 The way of a stubborn fool seems correct to him,
but whoever listens to advice is wise.
16 A stubborn fool immediately lets his annoyance be known,
but a sensible person overlooks an insult.

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15 The way of a fool is upright in his own eyes,
    but he who listens to advice is wise.
16 As for a fool, on that very day[a] he makes his anger known,
    but he who ignores an insult is prudent.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:16 Literally “on the day”

23 A man who is shrewd conceals his knowledge,
but the hearts of fools broadcast stupidity.

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23 A clever person conceals knowledge,
    but the heart[a] of a fool[b] announces folly.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:23 Or “mind”
  2. Proverbs 12:23 Hebrew “fools”

16 Every sensible person acts with knowledge,
but a fool displays stupidity.

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16 Anyone who is clever will act with intelligence,
    but the fool will display folly.

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