Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and to insight, “You are my relative.”
They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words.(A)

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Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”(A)
and call understanding your relative.
She will keep you from a forbidden woman,
a stranger with her flattering talk.(B)

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21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
    she seduced him with her smooth talk.(A)

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21 She seduces him with her persistent pleading;
she lures with her flattering[a] talk.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 7:21 Lit smooth

28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts,
    and a flattering mouth(A) works ruin.

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28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

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23 Whoever rebukes a person will in the end gain favor
    rather than one who has a flattering tongue.(A)

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23 One who rebukes a person will later find more favor(A)
than one who flatters[a] with his tongue.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:23 Lit is smooth

Those who flatter their neighbors
    are spreading nets for their feet.(A)

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A man who flatters[a] his neighbor
spreads a net for his feet.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:5 Lit is smooth on