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11 An evil person will seek only rebellion,
    and a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

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11 A rebellious person seeks only evil,
So a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

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19 He who loves transgression loves strife;
    he who builds his high thresholds seeks destruction.
20 He who is crooked of heart[a] will not find goodness,
    and he who is perverse, by his tongue he will fall into calamity.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:20 Or “mind”

19 One who (A)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who (B)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked [a]mind (C)finds nothing good,
And one who is [b](D)corrupted in his language falls into evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:20 Lit heart
  2. Proverbs 17:20 Lit altered in his tongue

24 He who understands sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool, to the end of the earth.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:24 Or “land”

24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the (A)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

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18 He who is selfish seeks a craving;[a]
    against all sound judgment he shows contempt.
A fool will not take pleasure in understanding,
    but in expressing his heart.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:1 Or “boundary”
  2. Proverbs 18:2 Or “mind”

Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

18 One who separates himself seeks his own desire;
He [a](A)quarrels against all sound wisdom.
A fool does not delight in understanding,
But (B)in revealing his own [b]mind.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:1 Lit breaks out
  2. Proverbs 18:2 Lit heart

14 “Bad, bad,” the buyer will say,
    but when one goes to him, then he will boast.

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14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
But when he goes his way, then he boasts.

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29 A wicked man is strong in his countenance,[a]
    but the upright will appoint his paths.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:29 Literally “his face”

29 A wicked person [a](A)displays a bold face,
But as for the (B)upright, he makes his way sure.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:29 Lit makes firm with his face

10 Drive out a scoffer and strife will go out;
    quarrel and abuse will cease.

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10 (A)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.

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He who sows injustice will reap calamity,
    and the rod of his anger will fail.

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One who (A)sows injustice will reap disaster,
And the (B)rod of his fury will perish.

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26 Do not be with those who give a pledge[a]
    by becoming[b] surety.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:26 Literally “strike a hand”
  2. Proverbs 22:26 Literally “in the becomings of”

26 Do not be among those who (A)shake hands,
Among those who become guarantors for debts.

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23 When you sit to eat with a ruler,
    you shall surely observe what is before you,
and you shall put a knife to your throat
    if you have a big appetite.[a]
Do not desire his delicacies,
    for[b] it is food of deception.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:2 Literally “lord/master of life”
  2. Proverbs 23:3 Hebrew “and”

On Life and Conduct

23 When you sit down to dine with a ruler,
Consider carefully [a]what is before you,
And put a knife to your throat
If you are a (A)person of great appetite.
Do not (B)desire his delicacies,
For it is deceptive food.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:1 Or who

Do not eat the bread of the stingy,[a]
    and do not desire his delicacies.
For, like hair in his throat,[b] so it is.[c]
    “Eat and drink!” he will say to you,
    but his heart will not be with you.
Your morsel you have eaten, you will vomit it up,
    and you will waste your pleasant words.
In the ears of a fool do not speak,
    for he will despise the wisdom of your words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:6 Literally “stingy of eye”
  2. Proverbs 23:7 Literally “soul,” or “inner self”
  3. Proverbs 23:7 Or “is he”

(A)Do not eat the bread of [a]a (B)selfish person;
Or desire his delicacies;
For as he [b]thinks within himself, so he is.
He says to you, “Eat and drink!”
But (C)his heart is not with you.
You will (D)vomit up [c]the morsel you have eaten
And waste your [d]compliments.

(E)Do not speak [e]to be heard by a fool,
For he will (F)despise the wisdom of your words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:6 Lit an evil eye
  2. Proverbs 23:7 Lit reckons in his soul
  3. Proverbs 23:8 Lit your
  4. Proverbs 23:8 Lit pleasant words
  5. Proverbs 23:9 Lit in the ears of a

Like cutting off feet or drinking violence,
    so is he who sends messages in the hand of a fool.

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One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
Chops off his own feet and drinks violence.

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