²¹ My ·child [^Lson], ·respect [fear] the Lord and the king.
    Don’t join those people who ·refuse to obey them [rebel].
²² ·The Lord and the king [^LThey] will quickly destroy such people.
    ·Those two can cause great disaster! [^LWho knows the disaster that both can bring?]

² ·God is honored for what he keeps secret [^LIt is the glory of God to hide a matter/things; Deut. 29:29].
·Kings are honored for what they can discover [^LIt is the glory of kings to examine them].

³ No one can ·measure [examine] the height of the skies or the depth of the earth.
So also no one can ·understand [examine] the ·mind [^Lheart] of a king.

⁴ ·Remove [Separate] the ·scum [dross] from the silver,
    so ·the silver can be used by the silversmith [^La vessel will come out for refining].
⁵ ·Remove [Separate] wicked people from the king’s presence;
    then his ·government [^Lthrone] will be ·honest and last a long time [^Lestablished in righteousness].

⁶ Don’t ·brag [honor yourself] to the king
    and ·act as if you are great [^Ldon’t stand in the place of important people].
⁷ It is better for him to ·give you a higher position [^Lsay to you, “Come up here”]
    than to bring you down in front of the prince [Luke 14:7–11].

Because of something you have seen,

⁴ If a king is ·fair [just], he makes his country ·strong [stable],
but if he ·takes gifts dishonestly [heavily taxes/extorts it], he tears his country down [1 Sam. 12:10–18].

¹⁴ If a king judges poor people ·fairly [in truth; reliably],
his ·government [^Lthrone] will ·continue [be established] forever.

⁴ “Kings should not drink wine, Lemuel,
    and rulers should not ·desire [crave] ·beer [^Tstrong drink; ^Calcoholic beverage made from grain; 20:1; 23:19–21, 29–35].
⁵ If they drink, they might forget the ·law [decrees]
    and ·keep the needy from getting their rights [violate the rights of the needy].
⁶ Give ·beer [^Tstrong drink; v. 4] to people who are ·dying [perishing]
    and wine to those ·who are sad [who have bitter hearts].
⁷ Let them drink and forget their ·need [poverty]
    and remember their ·misery [or hard work] no more [Eccl. 2:24–26; 3:12–14, 22; 5:18–20; 8:15; 9:7–10].