13 A foolish child is a father’s ruin,(A)
    and a quarrelsome wife is like
    the constant dripping of a leaky roof.(B)

14 Houses and wealth are inherited from parents,(C)
    but a prudent wife is from the Lord.(D)

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13 A foolish son is his father’s ruin,(A)
and a wife’s nagging is an endless dripping.(B)

14 A house and wealth are inherited from fathers,(C)
but a prudent wife is from the Lord.

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26 Whoever robs their father and drives out their mother(A)
    is a child who brings shame and disgrace.

27 Stop listening to instruction, my son,(B)
    and you will stray from the words of knowledge.

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26 The one who plunders his father and evicts his mother
is a disgraceful and shameful son.

27 If you stop listening to correction, my son,
you will stray from the words of knowledge.

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20 If someone curses their father or mother,(A)
    their lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.(B)

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20 Whoever curses his father or mother(A)
his lamp will go out in deep darkness.(B)

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15 Folly is bound up in the heart of a child,
    but the rod of discipline will drive it far away.(A)

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15 Foolishness is bound to the heart of a youth;
a rod of discipline will separate it from him.(A)

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Saying 5

28 Do not move an ancient boundary stone(A)
    set up by your ancestors.

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28 Don’t move an ancient boundary marker
that your ancestors set up.(A)

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Saying 17

22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.(A)

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22 Listen to your father who gave you life,
and don’t despise your mother when[a] she is old.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 23:22 Or because

24 The father of a righteous child has great joy;
    a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.(A)
25 May your father and mother rejoice;
    may she who gave you birth be joyful!(B)

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24 The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly,
and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him.(A)
25 Let your father and mother have joy,(B)
and let her who gave birth to you rejoice.

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Like a bird that flees its nest(A)
    is anyone who flees from home.

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Anyone wandering from his home
is like a bird wandering from its nest.(A)

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10 Do not forsake your friend or a friend of your family,
    and do not go to your relative’s house when disaster(A) strikes you—
    better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.

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10 Don’t abandon your friend or your father’s friend,(A)
and don’t go to your brother’s house
in your time of calamity;
better a neighbor nearby than a brother far away.(B)

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A discerning son heeds instruction,
    but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.(A)

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A discerning son keeps the law,
but a companion of gluttons humiliates his father.(A)

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24 Whoever robs their father or mother(A)
    and says, “It’s not wrong,”
    is partner to one who destroys.(B)

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24 The one who robs his father or mother(A)
and says, “That’s no sin,”(B)
is a companion to a person who destroys.(C)

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A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,(A)
    but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.(B)

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A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,(A)
but one who consorts with prostitutes destroys his wealth.(B)

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17 “The eye that mocks(A) a father,
    that scorns an aged mother,
will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley,
    will be eaten by the vultures.(B)

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17 As for the eye that ridicules a father(A)
and despises obedience to a mother,
may ravens of the valley pluck it out
and young vultures eat it.(B)

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