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28 Love and faithfulness keep the king safe.
    His throne is sustained by love.

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28 Gracious love and truth preserve a king;
    through love his throne is made secure.

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The way of the guilty is devious,
    but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

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The conduct[a] of a guilty man is perverse,
    but the behavior of the pure is upright.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:8 Lit. way

29 A wicked man hardens his face;
    but as for the upright, he establishes his ways.

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29 The wicked man puts up a bold appearance,
    but the upright thinks about what he is doing.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 21:29 Lit. about his ways

10 Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out;
    yes, quarrels and insults will stop.
11 He who loves purity of heart and speaks gracefully
    is the king’s friend.

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10 Throw out the mocker and strife departs, too;[a]
    furthermore, quarrels[b] and discord will end.

11 Whoever loves purity[c] and gracious speech
    will gain the king as his friend.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:10 The Heb. lacks too
  2. Proverbs 22:10 Or litigation
  3. Proverbs 22:11 Lit. purity of heart

23 When you sit to eat with a ruler,
    consider diligently what is before you;
put a knife to your throat,
    if you are a man given to appetite.
Don’t be desirous of his dainties,
    since they are deceitful food.

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Things to Avoid in Life

23 Whenever you sit down to dine with a ruler,
carefully think about what is before you.
Put a knife to your own throat,
    if you have a big appetite.[a]
Don’t crave his delicacies,
    because the meal is deceptive.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:2 Lit. a master of an appetite

Don’t eat the food of him who has a stingy eye,
    and don’t crave his delicacies:
    for as he thinks about the cost, so he is.
    “Eat and drink!” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
The morsel which you have eaten you shall vomit up,
    and lose your good words.

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Don’t consume food provided by a miserly[a] person,
    and don’t desire his delicacies,
for as he thinks within himself, so he is.
    “Eat and drink!” he’ll say to you,
        but his heart won’t be with you.
You’ll vomit up what little you’ve eaten,
    and your compliments will have been wasted.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:6 Lit. by the evil eyed

Take away the wicked from the king’s presence,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

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Purge the wicked from the king’s presence,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

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One who sends a message by the hand of a fool
    is cutting off feet and drinking violence.

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Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own[a] feet and drinks violence.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:6 The Heb. lacks his own

10 As an archer who wounds all,
    so is he who hires a fool
    or he who hires those who pass by.

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10 An archer who shoots at anyone—
    is like someone who hires a fool or anyone who passes by.

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24 A malicious man disguises himself with his lips,
    but he harbors evil in his heart.
25 When his speech is charming, don’t believe him,
    for there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 His malice may be concealed by deception,
    but his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit shall fall into it.
    Whoever rolls a stone, it will come back on him.
28 A lying tongue hates those it hurts;
    and a flattering mouth works ruin.

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24 Someone who hates hides behind his words,
    harboring deceit within himself.
25 Though he speaks graciously, don’t believe him,
    for there are seven detestable things in his heart.
26 Though malice disguises itself with deception,
    its evil will be exposed publicly.

27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
    and the stone will come back
        on whoever starts it rolling.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

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21 To show partiality is not good;
    yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

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21 To show partiality isn’t good,
    yet for a piece of bread the valiant will transgress.

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A man who flatters his neighbor
    spreads a net for his feet.

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A strong man who flatters his neighbor
    is setting a trap where he walks.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 29:5 Lit. trap for his footsteps