11 An evil person desires only rebellion;
a cruel messenger[a](A) will be sent against him.

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Footnotes

  1. 17:11 Or a merciless angel

11 An evil man seeks only rebellion,
    and (A)a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

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19 One who loves to offend loves strife;(A)
one who builds a high threshold invites injury.

20 One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.(B)

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19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
    he who (A)makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 (B)A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
    and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.

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24 Wisdom is the focus of the perceptive,
but a fool’s eyes(A) roam to the ends of the earth.

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24 (A)The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

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18 One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires;
he rebels against all sound wisdom.

A fool does not delight in understanding,
but only wants to show off his opinions.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. 18:2 Lit to uncover his heart

18 Whoever (A)isolates himself seeks his own desire;
    he breaks out against all sound judgment.
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only (B)in expressing his opinion.

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14 “It’s worthless, it’s worthless!” the buyer says,
but after he is on his way, he gloats.

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14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
    but when he goes away, then he boasts.

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29 A wicked person puts on a bold face,(A)
but the upright one considers his way.

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29 A wicked man puts on a bold face,
    but the upright (A)gives thought to[a] his ways.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:29 Or establishes

10 Drive out a mocker,(A) and conflict goes too;
then quarreling and dishonor will cease.(B)

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10 (A)Drive out a scoffer, (B)and strife will go out,
    and (C)quarreling and abuse will cease.

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The one who sows injustice will reap disaster,(A)
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

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Whoever (A)sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and (B)the rod of his fury will fail.

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26 Don’t be one of those who enter agreements,[a]
who put up security for loans.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 22:26 Lit Don’t be among hand slappers

26 Be not one of those who (A)give pledges,
    who put up security for debts.

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23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
consider carefully what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
if you have a big[b] appetite;
don’t desire his choice food,(A)
for that food is deceptive.

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Footnotes

  1. 23:1 Or who
  2. 23:2 Lit you are the master of an

23 When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
    observe carefully what[a] is before you,
and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to appetite.
(A)Do not desire his delicacies,
    for they are deceptive food.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:1 Or who

Don’t eat a stingy person’s bread,[a](A)
and don’t desire his choice food,(B)
for it’s like someone calculating inwardly.[b](C)
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
but his heart is not with you.(D)
You will vomit the little you’ve eaten
and waste your pleasant words.

Don’t speak to[c] a fool,
for he will despise the insight of your words.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 23:6 Lit eat bread of an evil eye
  2. 23:7 LXX reads it is like someone swallowing a hair in the throat
  3. 23:9 Lit in the ears of

(A)Do not eat the bread of a man who is (B)stingy;[a]
    (C)do not desire his delicacies,
for he is like one who is inwardly calculating.[b]
    “Eat and drink!” he says to you,
    but his (D)heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the morsels that you have eaten,
    and waste your pleasant words.
Do not speak in the hearing of a fool,
    for he will despise the good sense of your words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:6 Hebrew whose eye is evil
  2. Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he calculates in his soul, so is he

The one who sends a message by a fool’s hand(A)
cuts off his own feet and drinks violence.(B)

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Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and (A)drinks violence.

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