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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 the Lord, as well as the king,(A)
and don’t associate with rebels,[a]
22 for destruction will come suddenly from them;
who knows what distress these two can bring?

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Footnotes

  1. 24:21 Or those given to change

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 matter(A)
and the glory of kings to investigate a matter.
As the heavens are high and the earth is deep,
so the hearts of kings cannot be investigated.

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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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Remove impurities from silver,(A)
and material will be produced[a] for a silversmith.[b](B)
Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,(C)
and his throne will be established in righteousness.(D)

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Footnotes

  1. 25:4 Lit will come out; Ex 32:24
  2. 25:4 Or and a vessel will be produced by a silversmith

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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Don’t boast about yourself before the king,
and don’t stand in the place of the great;
for it is better for him to say to you, “Come up here!”
than to demote you in plain view of a noble.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 25:7 Lit you before a noble whom your eyes see

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

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By justice a king brings stability to a land,(A)
but a person who demands “contributions”[a]
demolishes it.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 29:4 The Hb word for contributions usually refers to offerings in worship.

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

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14 A king who judges the poor with fairness—
his throne will be established forever.(A)

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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, Lemuel,
it is not for kings(A) to drink wine(B)
or for rulers to desire beer.
Otherwise, he will drink,
forget what is decreed,(C)
and pervert justice for all the oppressed.[a](D)
Give beer to one who is dying
and wine to one whose life is bitter.(E)
Let him drink so that he can forget his poverty
and remember his trouble no more.(F)

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Footnotes

  1. 31:5 Lit sons of affliction