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21 My child, fear the Lord and the king,
    and do not disobey either of them,[a](A)
22 for disaster comes from them suddenly,
    and who knows the ruin that both can bring?

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Footnotes

  1. 24.21 Gk: Heb do not associate with those who change

21 Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king;
    with those who change, do not associate.
22 For suddenly their disaster will come,
    and the ruin of both of them,[a] who knows?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:22 Literally “the two of them”

It is the glory of God to conceal things,
    but the glory of kings is to search things out.(A)
Like the heavens for height, like the earth for depth,
    so the mind of kings is unsearchable.

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The glory of God[a] conceals things,
    but the glory of kings searches out things.
As heaven is to height and the earth is to depth,
    so is the heart[b] of kings—there is no searching.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:2 Or “gods”
  2. Proverbs 25:3 Or “mind”

Take away the dross from the silver,
    and the smith has material for a vessel;(A)
take away the wicked from the presence of the king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.(B)

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Remove the dross from silver,
    and it will become a vessel for the smith.
Remove the wicked before a king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:5 Hebrew “in the righteousness”

Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence
    or stand in the place of the great,
for it is better to be told, “Come up here,”
    than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.

What your eyes have seen(A)

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Do not promote yourself before the king,
    and in the place of the great ones do not stand.
For it is better that he say to you, “Ascend here,”
    than he humble you before a noble.
What your eyes have seen,

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By justice a king gives stability to the land,
    but one who makes heavy exactions ruins it.

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By justice a king gives stability to a land,
    but a man of bribes will ruin it.

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14 If a king judges the poor with equity,
    his throne will be established forever.(A)

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14 A king who judges with truthfulness to the poor,
    his throne will be established forever.

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It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
    it is not for kings to drink wine
    or for rulers to desire[a] strong drink,(A)
lest they drink and forget what has been decreed
    and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.
Give strong drink to one who is perishing
    and wine to those in bitter distress;
let them drink and forget their poverty
    and remember their misery no more.

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Footnotes

  1. 31.4 Cn: Heb where

It is not for the kings, O Lemuel;
    drinking wine is not for the kings,
    nor is strong drink for rulers.
Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed,
    and he will pervert the rights[a] of all the afflicted.[b]
Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
    and wine to those in bitter distress.[c]
He will drink and forget his poverty,
    and his misery he will not remember any more.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew “right”
  2. Proverbs 31:5 Literally “sons of affliction”
  3. Proverbs 31:6 Literally “to bitterness of soul”