10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(A)
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.(B)

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10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

11 Discretion[a] will protect you;
    understanding will watch over you,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:11 Or Wise planning

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

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20 This is how you will walk in the way of good men
    and will keep to the paths of the righteous.

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14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.(A)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(B)
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.(C)

18 The path of the righteous(D) is like the morning sun,(E)
    shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(F)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(G)
    they do not know what makes them stumble.(H)

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Avoiding the Ways of the Wicked

14 Do not enter the path of the wicked,
    or go along the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it! Don’t travel on it!
    Turn away from it, and pass on by.
16 For they cannot sleep unless they are doing evil,
    and they are robbed of their sleep unless they cause someone to stumble.
17 For they eat the bread of wickedness,
    and they drink the wine of violence.

18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn
    that grows brighter until the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness,
    and they do not know what they are stumbling over.

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20 Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.(A)

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20 Whoever keeps company with the wise becomes wise,
    but the companion of fools suffers harm.

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28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,(A)
    and a gossip separates close friends.(B)

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28 A deceitful man stirs dissension,
    and anyone who gossips separates friends.

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12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than a fool bent on folly.(A)

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12 It’s better to meet a mother bear who has lost her cubs
    than a fool in his stupidity.

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

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17 A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is there[a] for times of trouble.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:17 Lit. born

24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(A)

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24 A man with many[a] friends can still be ruined,
    but one who keeps on loving sticks closer than a brother.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:24 The Heb. lacks many

Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(A)

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Wealth brings many friends,
    but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

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Many curry favor with a ruler,(A)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.(B)

The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!(C)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.[a](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.

Many curry favor of an official;
    everyone is a friend of the gift giver.

All the relatives of a poor person shun him—
    how much more do his friends avoid him!
Though he runs after them pleading,
    they aren’t around.

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19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(A)
    so avoid anyone who talks too much.

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19 Whoever spreads gossip betrays confidences;
    so don’t get involved with someone who talks too much.

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Saying 3

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
    do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
    and get yourself ensnared.(A)

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24 Don’t make friends with a hot-tempered man,
    and do not associate with someone who is easily angered,
25 or you may learn his ways
    and find yourself caught in a trap.

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