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14 Don’t do as the wicked do,
    and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
    Turn away and keep moving.
16 For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
    They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
17 They eat the food of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence!

18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
    which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
    They have no idea what they are stumbling over.

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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 Walk with the wise and become wise;
    associate with fools and get in trouble.

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

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Stay away from fools,
    for you won’t find knowledge on their lips.

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Stay away from fools,
    for you won’t learn wise speech there.

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19 Better to live humbly with the poor
    than to share plunder with the proud.

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19 Better to be humble with the needy
    than to divide plunder with the proud.

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19 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    so don’t hang around with chatterers.

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

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Corrupt people walk a thorny, treacherous road;
    whoever values life will avoid it.

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Thorns and nets are in the path of the crooked;
    those who guard their lives keep their distance.

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24 Don’t befriend angry people
    or associate with hot-tempered people,
25 or you will learn to be like them
    and endanger your soul.

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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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Don’t eat with people who are stingy;
    don’t desire their delicacies.
They are always thinking about how much it costs.[a]
    “Eat and drink,” they say, but they don’t mean it.
You will throw up what little you’ve eaten,
    and your compliments will be wasted.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

Don’t eat food with stingy people;
    don’t long for their delicacies,
    because they are like a hair in the throat.[a]
They say to you, “Eat and drink!”
    but they don’t mean it.
You will eat scraps and vomit them out.
    You will waste your pleasant words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:7 LXX; Heb uncertain

20 Do not carouse with drunkards
    or feast with gluttons,
21 for they are on their way to poverty,
    and too much sleep clothes them in rags.

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20 Don’t hang out with those who get drunk on wine
    or those who eat too much meat,
21     because drunks and gluttons will be impoverished;
    their stupor will clothe them in rags.

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24 Don’t envy evil people
    or desire their company.
For their hearts plot violence,
    and their words always stir up trouble.

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24 Don’t envy evil people,
    and don’t long to be with them.
Their hearts are focused on violence,
    and their lips speak of trouble.

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21 My child, fear the Lord and the king.
Don’t associate with rebels,
22     for disaster will hit them suddenly.
Who knows what punishment will come
    from the Lord and the king?

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21 Fear the Lord, my child, as well as the king.
    Don’t associate with those who are rebellious.
22 Disaster comes suddenly from them.
    Who can know the ruin that both can bring?

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