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Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you.
    Bind them around your neck.
    Write them on the tablet of your heart.
So you will find favor,
    and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

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Do not let gracious love and truth leave you.
    Bind them around your neck,
        write them on the tablet of your heart,
and find favor and a good reputation[a] with God and men.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:4 Lit. good judgment or sense

13 Happy is the man who finds wisdom,
    the man who gets understanding.
14 For her good profit is better than getting silver,
    and her return is better than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies.
    None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand.
    In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness.
    All her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her.
    Happy is everyone who retains her.

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Wisdom More Valuable than Riches

13 How joyful is the man who finds wisdom,
    and the man who gains understanding,
14 because her profit is better than the profit of silver,
    and her yield than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies,
    and nothing you desire compares with her.
16 Long life is in her right hand,
    and in her left are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways,
    and all her paths are peaceful.
18 She is a tree of life for those who embrace her,
    and whoever clutches her tightly will be joyful.

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35 The wise will inherit glory,
    but shame will be the promotion of fools.

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35 The wise will inherit honor,
    but he holds fools up for ridicule.

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Wisdom is supreme.
    Get wisdom.
    Yes, though it costs all your possessions, get understanding.
Esteem her, and she will exalt you.
    She will bring you to honor when you embrace her.
She will give to your head a garland of grace.
    She will deliver a crown of splendor to you.”

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Wisdom is of utmost importance, therefore get wisdom,
    and with all your effort work to acquire understanding.
Prize her and she will exalt you.
    Indeed, if you embrace her, she will honor you.
She will place on your head a graceful garland;
    she will present to you a crown of beauty.”

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The memory of the righteous is blessed,
    but the name of the wicked will rot.

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The reputation[a] of the righteous leads to blessing,
    but the name of the wicked will rot.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:7 Lit. memorial

16 A gracious woman obtains honor,
    but violent men obtain riches.

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16 A gracious woman attains honor,[a]
    but[b] ruthless men attain[c] wealth.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:16 So MT; LXX reads honor for her husband
  2. Proverbs 11:16 So MT; LXX reads but a seat of dishonor is for the woman who hates justice
  3. Proverbs 11:16 So MT; LXX reads justice. The deficient shrink from wealth, but the diligent support themselves with

26 People curse someone who withholds grain,
    but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.
27 He who diligently seeks good seeks favor,
    but he who searches after evil, it shall come to him.

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26 People will curse whoever withholds grain,
    but blessing will come to whoever is selling.

27 The person seeking good will find favor,
    but anyone who searches for evil—it will find him!

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A man shall be commended according to his wisdom,
    but he who has a warped mind shall be despised.

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A man is praised because of his wise words,
    but the perverted mind[a] will be despised.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:8 Lit. heart

Better is he who is little known, and has a servant,
    than he who honors himself, and lacks bread.

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It’s better to be unimportant, yet have a servant,
    than to pretend to be important, but lack food.

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15 Good understanding wins favor,
    but the way of the unfaithful is hard.

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15 Good understanding produces grace,
    but the lifestyle of the treacherous never changes.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:15 So MT; LXX Syr read grace, and to know the Law is the sign of a sound mind, but the path of scorners ends in destruction

18 Poverty and shame come to him who refuses discipline,
    but he who heeds correction shall be honored.

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18 Poverty and shame are for those who ignore correction,
    but whoever listens to instruction gains honor.

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35 The king’s favor is toward a servant who deals wisely,
    but his wrath is toward one who causes shame.

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35 The king approves the wise servant,
    but he is angry at anyone who acts shamefully.

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