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The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
    fools despise wisdom and instruction.(A)

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

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22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
    and fools hate knowledge?(A)

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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 For waywardness kills the simple,
    and the complacency of fools destroys them;(A)

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

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O simple ones, learn prudence;
    acquire intelligence, you who lack it.(A)

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

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:5 Literally “heart”

Folly’s Invitation and Promise

13 The foolish woman is loud;
    she is ignorant and knows nothing.(A)
14 She sits at the door of her house,
    on a seat at the high places of the town,
15 calling to those who pass by,
    who are going straight on their way,
16 “You who are simple, turn in here!”
    And to those without sense she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet,
    and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”(B)
18 But they do not know that the dead[a] are there,
    that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. 9.18 Heb shades

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

The wise of heart will heed commandments,
    but one with foolish lips will come to ruin.(A)

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

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18 Lying lips conceal hatred,
    and whoever utters slander 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 Doing wrong is like sport to a fool,
    but wise conduct is pleasure to a person of understanding.(A)

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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 Those who trouble their households will inherit wind,
    and the fool will be servant to the wise.

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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 Fools think their own way is right,
    but the wise listen to advice.(A)
16 Fools show their anger at once,
    but the prudent ignore an insult.(B)

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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 One who is clever conceals knowledge,
    but the mind of a fool[a] broadcasts folly.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 12.23 Heb the heart of fools

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 The clever do all things intelligently,
    but the fool displays folly.(A)

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

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