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21 My son, fear Yahweh and the king.
    Don’t join those who are rebellious;
22 for their calamity will rise suddenly.
    Who knows what destruction may come from them both?

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21 My son, fear thou Jehovah and the king;
And company not with them that are given to change:
22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly;
And the destruction [a]from them both, who knoweth it?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:22 Or, of their years

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing,
    but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
As the heavens for height, and the earth for depth,
    so the hearts of kings are unsearchable.

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It is the glory of God to conceal a thing;
But the glory of 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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Take away the dross from the silver,
    and material comes out for the refiner;
Take away the wicked from the king’s presence,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

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Take away the dross from the silver,
And there cometh forth a vessel for the refiner:
Take away the wicked from before the king,
And his throne shall be established in righteousness.

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Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
    or claim a place among great men;
for it is better that it be said to you, “Come up here,”
    than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince,
    whom your eyes have seen.

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[a]Put not thyself forward in the presence of the king,
And stand not in the place of great men:
For better is it that it be said unto thee, Come up hither,
Than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince,
Whom thine eyes have seen.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:6 Hebrew Glorify not thyself.

The king by justice makes the land stable,
    but he who takes bribes tears it down.

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The king by justice establisheth the land;
But [a]he that exacteth gifts overthroweth it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:4 Or, he that imposeth tribute. Hebrew a man of offerings.

14 The king who fairly judges the poor,
    his throne shall be established forever.

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14 The king that faithfully judgeth the poor,
His throne shall be established for ever.

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It is not for kings, Lemuel,
    it is not for kings to drink wine,
    nor for princes to say, ‘Where is strong drink?’
lest they drink, and forget the law,
    and pervert the justice due to anyone who is afflicted.
Give strong drink to him who is ready to perish,
    and wine to the bitter in soul.
Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
    and remember his misery no more.

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It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;
Nor for princes [a]to say, Where is strong drink?
Lest they drink, and forget [b]the law,
And pervert the justice due to [c]any that is afflicted.
Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish,
And wine unto the bitter in soul:
Let him drink, and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:4 Another reading is, to desire strong drink.
  2. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew that which is decreed.
  3. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew all the sons of affliction.