10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will delight you.
11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you.(A)

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10 Wisdom will enter your mind,
    and knowledge will fill you with delight.
11 Discretion will guard you;
    understanding will protect you.

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20 So follow the way of the good,(A)
and keep to the paths of the righteous.

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20 So you should stay on the path of good people,
    guarding the road of the righteous.

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14 Keep off the path of the wicked;(A)
don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.
15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.
16 For they can’t sleep
unless they have done what is evil;
they are robbed of sleep
unless they make someone stumble.(B)
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,(C)
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;(D)
they don’t know what makes them stumble.(E)

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14 Don’t go on the way of the wicked;
    don’t walk on the path of evil people.
15 Avoid it! Don’t turn onto it;
    stay off of it and keep going!
16 They don’t sleep unless they do evil;
    they are robbed of sleep unless they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of evil,
    and they drink the wine of violence.
18 The way of the righteous is like morning light
    that gets brighter and brighter till it is full day.
19 The path of the wicked is like deep darkness;
    they don’t know where they will stumble.

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20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise,
but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

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20 Walk with wise people and become wise;
    befriend fools and get in trouble.

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28 A contrary person spreads conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends.(A)

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28 Destructive people produce conflict;
    gossips alienate close friends.

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12 Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs(A)
than a fool in his foolishness.

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12 Safer to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than fools in their folly.

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17 A friend loves at all times,(A)
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

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17 Friends love all the time,
    and kinsfolk are born for times of trouble.

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24 One with many friends may be harmed,[a]
but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 18:24 Some LXX mss, Syr, Tg, Vg read friends must be friendly

24 There are persons for companionship,
    but then there are friends who are more loyal than family.

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Wealth attracts many friends,(A)
but a poor person is separated from his friend.

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Riches increase one’s friends,
    but the poor lose their friends.

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Many seek a ruler’s favor,(A)
and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.(B)

All the brothers of a poor person hate him;(C)
how much more do his friends
keep their distance from him!
He may pursue them with words,(D)
but they are not there.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 19:7 Hb uncertain

Many seek favor from rulers;
    everyone befriends a gift giver.
All the relatives of the poor hate them;
    even more, their friends stay far from them.
    When they pursue them with words, they aren’t there.

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19 The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip;(A)
avoid someone with a big mouth.(B)

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19 Gossips reveal secrets;
    don’t associate with those who talk too much.

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24 Don’t make friends with an angry person,[a]
and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered one,(A)
25 or you will learn his ways(B)
and entangle yourself in a snare.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:24 Lit with a master of anger

24 Don’t befriend people controlled by anger;
    don’t associate with hot-tempered people;
25     otherwise, you will learn their ways
    and become trapped.

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