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21 Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king;
    with those who change, do not associate.
22 For suddenly their disaster will come,
    and the ruin of both of them,[a] who knows?

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 24:22 Literally “the two of them”

21 Fear the Lord, my child, as well as the king.
    Don’t associate with those who are rebellious.
22 Disaster comes suddenly from them.
    Who can know the ruin that both can bring?

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The glory of God[a] conceals things,
    but the glory of kings searches out things.
As heaven is to height and the earth is to depth,
    so is the heart[b] of kings—there is no searching.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:2 Or “gods”
  2. Proverbs 25:3 Or “mind”

It is the glory of God to hide something
    and the glory of kings to discover something.
Like the high heavens and the depths of the earth,
    so the mind of a king is unsearchable.

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Remove the dross from silver,
    and it will become a vessel for the smith.
Remove the wicked before a king,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:5 Hebrew “in the righteousness”

Remove the dross from the silver,
    and a vessel will come out for the refiner.
Remove the wicked from the king’s presence,
    and his throne will be established in righteousness.

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Do not promote yourself before the king,
    and in the place of the great ones do not stand.
For it is better that he say to you, “Ascend here,”
    than he humble you before a noble.
What your eyes have seen,

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Don’t exalt yourself in the presence of the king,
    or stand in the place of important people,
    because it is better that he say to you,
    “Come up here,”
    than to be demoted before a ruler.

What your eyes see,

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By justice a king gives stability to a land,
    but a man of bribes will ruin it.

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A king gives stability to the land by justice,
    but one who imposes heavy taxes tears it down.

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14 A king who judges with truthfulness to the poor,
    his throne will be established forever.

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14 If a king judges the poor honestly,
    his throne will be established forever.

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It is not for the kings, O Lemuel;
    drinking wine is not for the kings,
    nor is strong drink for rulers.
Or else he will drink and forget what has been decreed,
    and he will pervert the rights[a] of all the afflicted.[b]
Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
    and wine to those in bitter distress.[c]
He will drink and forget his poverty,
    and his misery he will not remember any more.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:5 Hebrew “right”
  2. Proverbs 31:5 Literally “sons of affliction”
  3. Proverbs 31:6 Literally “to bitterness of soul”

It isn’t for kings, Lemuel,
    it isn’t for kings to drink wine,
    for rulers to crave[a] strong drink.
Otherwise, they will drink and forget the law,
    and violate the rights of the needy.
Give strong drink to those who are perishing
    and wine to those whose hearts are bitter.
Let them drink and forget their poverty
    and no longer remember their toil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 31:4 Or where or or