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21 My child, fear the Lord and the king.
Don’t associate with rebels,
22     for disaster will hit them suddenly.
Who knows what punishment will come
    from the Lord and the king?

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21 My son, [a](A)fear Yahweh and the king;
Do not associate with those who change,
22 For suddenly their (B)disaster will rise,
And who knows the upheaval that comes from both of them?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:21 Or reverence

It is God’s privilege to conceal things
    and the king’s privilege to discover them.

No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth,
    or all that goes on in the king’s mind!

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It is the glory of God to (A)conceal a matter,
But the glory of (B)kings is to search out a matter.
As the heavens for height and the earth for depth,
So the heart of kings is unsearchable.

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Remove the impurities from silver,
    and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.
Remove the wicked from the king’s court,
    and his reign will be made secure by justice.

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Take away the (A)dross from the silver,
And there comes out a vessel for the (B)smith;
Take away the (C)wicked before the king,
And his (D)throne will be established in righteousness.

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Don’t demand an audience with the king
    or push for a place among the great.
It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table
    than to be sent away in public disgrace.

Just because you’ve seen something,

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Do not promote your majesty in the presence of the king,
And in the place of great men do not stand;
For (A)it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
Than for you to be placed lower in the presence of a noble,
Whom your eyes have seen.

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A just king gives stability to his nation,
    but one who demands bribes destroys it.

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By justice the (A)king causes the land to stand,
But a man of bribes tears it down.

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14 If a king judges the poor fairly,
    his throne will last forever.

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14 If a (A)king judges the poor with truth,
His (B)throne will be established forever.

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It is not for kings, O Lemuel, to guzzle wine.
    Rulers should not crave alcohol.
For if they drink, they may forget the law
    and not give justice to the oppressed.
Alcohol is for the dying,
    and wine for those in bitter distress.
Let them drink to forget their poverty
    and remember their troubles no more.

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It is not for (A)kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to (B)drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,
Lest he drink and forget what is decreed,
And (C)pervert the justice of all the [a]afflicted.
Give strong drink to him who is (D)perishing,
And wine to those (E)whose soul is bitter.
Let him drink and forget his poverty
And he will not remember his trouble any longer.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:5 Lit sons of affliction