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30 The godly offer good counsel;
    they teach right from wrong.

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30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(A)
    and their tongues speak what is just.

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Let your conversation be gracious and attractive[a] so that you will have the right response for everyone.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:6 Greek and seasoned with salt.

Let your conversation be always full of grace,(A) seasoned with salt,(B) so that you may know how to answer everyone.(C)

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11 Timely advice is lovely,
    like golden apples in a silver basket.

12 To one who listens, valid criticism
    is like a gold earring or other gold jewelry.

13 Trustworthy messengers refresh like snow in summer.
    They revive the spirit of their employer.

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11 Like apples[a] of gold in settings of silver(A)
    is a ruling rightly given.
12 Like an earring of gold or an ornament of fine gold
    is the rebuke of a wise judge to a listening ear.(B)

13 Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time
    is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him;
    he refreshes the spirit of his master.(C)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:11 Or possibly apricots

29 Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

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29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,(A) but only what is helpful for building others up(B) according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

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The lips of the wise give good advice;
    the heart of a fool has none to give.

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The lips of the wise spread knowledge,(A)
    but the hearts of fools are not upright.

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35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.

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35 A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him.

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21 The words of the godly encourage many,
    but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

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21 The lips of the righteous nourish many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.(A)

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31 The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice,
    but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

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31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,(A)
    but a perverse tongue(B) will be silenced.

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15 I will tell everyone about your righteousness.
    All day long I will proclaim your saving power,
    though I am not skilled with words.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 71:15 Or though I cannot count it.

15 My mouth will tell(A) of your righteous deeds,(B)
    of your saving acts all day long—
    though I know not how to relate them all.

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The heartfelt counsel of a friend
    is as sweet as perfume and incense.

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Perfume(A) and incense bring joy to the heart,
    and the pleasantness of a friend
    springs from their heartfelt advice.

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24 I will tell about your righteous deeds
    all day long,
for everyone who tried to hurt me
    has been shamed and humiliated.

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24 My tongue will tell of your righteous acts
    all day long,(A)
for those who wanted to harm me(B)
    have been put to shame and confusion.(C)

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Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

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Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.(A) Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.(B) Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.(C)

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