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The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence];
But arrogant [a]fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:7 In Proverbs various kinds of fools are discussed including those who are closed-minded, over-confident, and reject instruction and correction—the unteachable; those who lack spiritual insight—the spiritually blind; and those who are flippant, hardened, and who deliberately choose to reject God and wisdom—the arrogant.

(A)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge;
Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

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22 
“How long, O naive ones [you who are easily misled], will you love being simple-minded and undiscerning?
How long will scoffers [who ridicule and deride] delight in scoffing,
How long will fools [who obstinately mock truth] hate knowledge?

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22 “How long, you (A)naive ones, will you love simplistic thinking?
And how long will (B)scoffers delight themselves in scoffing
And fools (C)hate knowledge?

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32 
“For the turning away of the [a]naive will kill them,
And the careless ease of [self-righteous] fools will destroy them.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 1:32 Lit simple ones.

32 For the (A)faithlessness of the naive will kill them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them.

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“O you naive or inexperienced [who are easily misled], understand prudence and seek astute common sense;
And, O you [closed-minded, self-confident] fools, understand wisdom [seek the insight and self-discipline that leads to godly living].(A)

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You (A)naive ones, understand prudence;
And, you (B)fools, understand [a]wisdom!

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 8:5 Lit heart

13 
The foolish woman is restless and noisy;
She is naive and easily misled and thoughtless, and knows nothing at all [of eternal value].
14 
She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by the high and conspicuous places of the city,
15 
Calling to those who pass by,
Who are making their paths straight:
16 
“Whoever is naive or inexperienced, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks understanding (common sense), she says,
17 
“Stolen waters (pleasures) are sweet [because they are forbidden];
And bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”(A)
18 
But he does not know that the spirits of the dead are there,
And that her guests are [already] in the depths of Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead).

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13 [a]A woman of foolishness is (A)boisterous,
She has a lack of understanding and (B)knows nothing.
14 She sits at the doorway of her house,
On a seat by (C)the high places of the city,
15 Calling to those who pass by,
Who are going straight on their paths:
16 (D)Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”
And to him who lacks [b]understanding she says,
17 “Stolen water is sweet;
And (E)bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
18 But he does not know that the [c]dead are there,
That her guests are in the (F)depths of Sheol.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 9:13 Or A foolish woman
  2. Proverbs 9:16 Lit heart
  3. Proverbs 9:18 Lit departed spirits


The wise in heart [are willing to learn so they] will accept and obey commands (instruction),
But the babbling fool [who is arrogant and thinks himself wise] will come to ruin.

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The (A)wise of heart will receive commands,
But [a]a babbling fool will come to ruin.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:8 Lit the foolish of lips

18 
He who hides hatred has lying lips,
And he who spreads slander is a fool.(A)

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18 One (A)who conceals hatred has lying lips,
And one who spreads slander is a fool.

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23 
Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin],
But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

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23 Doing wickedness is like (A)sport to a fool,
And so is wisdom to a person of understanding.

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29 
He who troubles (mismanages) his own house will inherit the wind (nothing),
And the foolish will be a servant to the wise-hearted.

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29 One who (A)troubles his own house will (B)inherit wind,
And (C)the foolish will be servant to the wise-hearted.

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15 
The way of the [arrogant] fool [who rejects God’s wisdom] is right in his own eyes,
But a wise and prudent man is he who listens to counsel.(A)
16 
The [arrogant] fool’s anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense],
But a prudent man ignores an insult.

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15 The (A)way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But a person who listens to advice is wise.
16 A (B)fool’s anger is known at once,
But a prudent person conceals dishonor.

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23 
A shrewd man is reluctant to display his knowledge [until the proper time],
But the heart of [over-confident] fools proclaims foolishness.(A)

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23 A (A)prudent person conceals knowledge,
But the heart of fools proclaims foolishness.

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16 
Every prudent and self-disciplined man acts with knowledge,
But a [closed-minded] fool [who refuses to learn] displays his foolishness [for all to see].

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16 Every (A)prudent person acts with knowledge,
But a fool [a]displays foolishness.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:16 Lit spreads out