18 She is (A)a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who [a]retain her.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:18 hold her fast

18 She is a tree of life for those who seize her;
    those who take hold of her are considered happy.

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32 “Now therefore, listen to me, my children,
For (A)blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Hear instruction and be wise,
And do not disdain it.
34 (B)Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors.
35 For whoever finds me finds life,
And (C)obtains favor from the Lord;
36 But he who sins against me (D)wrongs his own soul;
All those who hate me love death.”

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Benefits of Following Wisdom

32 “And now, children, listen to me;
    happy are those who will keep my ways.
33 Hear teaching and be wise;
    do not neglect it.
34 Happy is the person who listens to me,
    in order to keep watch at my doors day by day,
    in order to guard the frames of my entrances.
35 For he who finds me is he who finds[a] life,
    and he obtains favor from Yahweh.
36 But he who misses me injures himself.[b]
    All those who hate me love death.”

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:35 Hebrew “those who find”
  2. Proverbs 8:36 Or “soul,” or “inner self”

28 The hope of the righteous will be gladness,
But the (A)expectation of the wicked will perish.

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28 The hope of the righteous is gladness,
    but the expectation of the wicked comes to nothing.

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25 (A)Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,
But (B)a good word makes it glad.

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25 Anxiety in the heart[a] of a man will weigh him down,
    but a good word will cheer him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:25 Or “mind”

13 (A)A merry heart makes a cheerful [a]countenance,
But (B)by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:13 face

13 A heart[a] of gladness will make good countenance,[b]
    but in sorrow of heart[c] a spirit is broken.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:13 Or “mind”
  2. Proverbs 15:13 Literally “faces”
  3. Proverbs 15:13 Or “mind”

15 All the days of the afflicted are evil,
(A)But he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.

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15 All the days of the poor are hard,
    but goodness of heart[a] is a continuous feast.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:15 Or “mind”

30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart,
And a good report makes the bones [a]healthy.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:30 Lit. fat

30 From the light of the eyes, the heart[a] will rejoice,
    and good news will enliven the bones.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:30 Or “mind”
  2. Proverbs 15:30 Hebrew “bone”

20 He who heeds the word wisely will find good,
And whoever (A)trusts in the Lord, happy is he.

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20 He who is attentive to a matter will find goodness,
    and he who trusts in Yahweh, his own happiness.

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22 A (A)merry heart [a]does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:22 Or makes medicine even better

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a downcast spirit will dry out bones.

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25 Let your father and your mother be glad,
And let her who bore you rejoice.

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25 May your father and your mother be glad,
    and may she who bore you rejoice.

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17 (A)Do not rejoice when your enemy falls,
And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
18 Lest the Lord see it, and [a]it displease Him,
And He turn away His wrath from him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:18 Lit. it be evil in His eyes

17 While your enemies are falling, do not rejoice;
    when he trips himself, may your heart[a] not be glad
18 lest Yahweh see and it be evil in his eyes,
    and turn his anger away from him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:17 Or “mind”

20 A faithful man will abound with blessings,
(A)But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished.

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20 A man of faithfulness has abundant blessings,
    but he who hurries to become rich will not go unpunished.

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18 (A)Where there is no [a]revelation, the people cast off restraint;
But (B)happy is he who keeps the law.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:18 prophetic vision

18 When there is no prophecy, the people cast off restraint,
    but as for he who guards instruction, happiness is his.

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