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10 A rebuke strikes him who understands
    deeper than one hundred blows to a fool.
11 An evil person will seek only rebellion,
    and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

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10 A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding
    than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.

11 Evil people are eager for rebellion,
    but they will be severely punished.

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20 Listen to advice and accept instruction
    so that you will gain wisdom for your future.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:20 Literally “after things

20 Get all the advice and instruction you can,
    so you will be wise the rest of your life.

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27 Cease to listen to instruction, my child,
    and you will stray[a] from sayings of knowledge.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:27 Literally “in order to stray”

27 If you stop listening to instruction, my child,
    you will turn your back on knowledge.

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Roaring like the lion is the dreaded anger of a king;
    he who provokes him forfeits his life.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:2 Or “soul,” or “inner self”

The king’s fury is like a lion’s roar;
    to rouse his anger is to risk your life.

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Many a person will proclaim his loyalty for himself,
    but a man who is trustworthy, who can find?

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Many will say they are loyal friends,
    but who can find one who is truly reliable?

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A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    winnows all evil with his eyes.

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When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence,
    distinguishing the bad from the good.

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11 Even by his acts, a young man[a] will make himself known,
    whether his acts are pure and upright.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:11 Or “young boy,” or “adolescent”

11 Even children are known by the way they act,
    whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.

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30 The blows of a wound will cleanse evil,
    as will[a] beatings of the innermost part.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:30 Hebrew “and”
  2. Proverbs 20:30 Literally “parts of the inmost”

30 Physical punishment cleanses away evil;[a]
    such discipline purifies the heart.

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Footnotes

  1. 20:30 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

21 Streams of water are the heart[a] of a king in the hand of Yahweh;
    wherever[b] he will desire, he will turn.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:1 Or “mind”
  2. Proverbs 21:1 Literally “upon all that”

21 The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord;
    he guides it wherever he pleases.

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11 He who loves purity of heart
    and hasgracious speech,[a] his friend is the king.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:11 Literally “grace of his lips”

11 Whoever loves a pure heart and gracious speech
    will have the king as a friend.

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The glory of God[a] conceals things,
    but the glory of kings searches out things.
As heaven is to height and the earth is to depth,
    so is the heart[b] of kings—there is no searching.
Remove the dross from silver,
    and it will become a vessel for the smith.
Remove the wicked before a king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.[c]
Do not promote yourself before the king,
    and in the place of the great ones do not stand.
For it is better that he say to you, “Ascend here,”
    than he humble you before a noble.
What your eyes have seen,

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:2 Or “gods”
  2. Proverbs 25:3 Or “mind”
  3. Proverbs 25:5 Hebrew “in the righteousness”

It is God’s privilege to conceal things
    and the king’s privilege to discover them.

No one can comprehend the height of heaven, the depth of the earth,
    or all that goes on in the king’s mind!

Remove the impurities from silver,
    and the sterling will be ready for the silversmith.
Remove the wicked from the king’s court,
    and his reign will be made secure by justice.

Don’t demand an audience with the king
    or push for a place among the great.
It’s better to wait for an invitation to the head table
    than to be sent away in public disgrace.

Just because you’ve seen something,

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18 He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and he who guards his master[a] will be honored.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 27:18 Or “lord”

18 As workers who tend a fig tree are allowed to eat the fruit,
    so workers who protect their employer’s interests will be rewarded.

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