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(A)The fear of [a]Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge;
[b]Ignorant fools despise wisdom and discipline.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:7 The personal covenant name of God, a form of I AM WHO I AM, cf. Ex 3:14-15
  2. Proverbs 1:7 One who lacks wisdom due to negligence or carelessness; so in Prov

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

22 “How long, O (A)simple ones, will you love simplicity?
And (B)scoffers delight in scoffing
And [a]fools (C)hate knowledge?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:22 One who fails in wisdom due to willful sin

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

32 For the (A)turning away of the simple will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

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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

O (A)simple ones, understand prudence;
And, O (B)fools, understand a heart of wisdom.

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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

13 The woman of [a]foolishness is (A)boisterous,
A woman of simplicity, and (B)does not know anything.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by (C)the high places of the city,
15 To call to those who pass by that way,
Who are making their paths straight:
16 (D)Whoever is simple, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks a heart of wisdom she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And (E)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the [b]dead are there,
That those she called are in the (F)depths of Sheol.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:13 Insolent foolishness of one who fails in wisdom due to willful sin
  2. Proverbs 9:18 Lit departed spirits

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

The (A)wise of heart will receive commandments,
But an ignorant fool of loose lips will be [a]ruined.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:8 Lit thrust down

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

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18 He (A)who covers up hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads a bad report is a fool.

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

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23 Doing wickedness is like (A)laughing to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a man of discernment.

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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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29 He who (A)troubles his own house will (B)inherit wind,
And (C)the ignorant fool will be a slave to the wise of heart.

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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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15 The (A)way of an ignorant fool is right in his own eyes,
But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.
16 An (B)ignorant fool’s [a]anger is known at once,
But a prudent man conceals disgrace.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:16 Or vexation

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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23 A (A)prudent man conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims folly.

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

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16 Every (A)prudent man acts with knowledge,
But a fool spreads out folly.

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

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