10 For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will delight you.
11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you.(A)

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10 For wisdom will enter your heart,(A)
    and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.(B)

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20 So follow the way of the good,(A)
and keep to the paths of the righteous.

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20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.

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14 Keep off the path of the wicked;(A)
don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.
15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.
16 For they can’t sleep
unless they have done what is evil;
they are robbed of sleep
unless they make someone stumble.(B)
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,(C)
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;(D)
they don’t know what makes them stumble.(E)

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14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
    or walk in the way of evildoers.(A)
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
    turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot rest until they do evil;(B)
    they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence.(C)

18 The path of the righteous(D) is like the morning sun,(E)
    shining ever brighter till the full light of day.(F)
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;(G)
    they do not know what makes them stumble.(H)

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20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise,
but a companion of fools will suffer harm.

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20 Walk with the wise and become wise,
    for a companion of fools suffers harm.(A)

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28 A contrary person spreads conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends.(A)

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28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,(A)
    and a gossip separates close friends.(B)

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12 Better for a person to meet a bear robbed of her cubs(A)
than a fool in his foolishness.

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12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs
    than a fool bent on folly.(A)

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17 A friend loves at all times,(A)
and a brother is born for a difficult time.

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17 A friend loves at all times,
    and a brother is born for a time of adversity.(A)

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24 One with many friends may be harmed,[a]
but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. 18:24 Some LXX mss, Syr, Tg, Vg read friends must be friendly

24 One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
    but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.(A)

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Wealth attracts many friends,(A)
but a poor person is separated from his friend.

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Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(A)

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Many seek a ruler’s favor,(A)
and everyone is a friend of one who gives gifts.(B)

All the brothers of a poor person hate him;(C)
how much more do his friends
keep their distance from him!
He may pursue them with words,(D)
but they are not there.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. 19:7 Hb uncertain

Many curry favor with a ruler,(A)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.(B)

The poor are shunned by all their relatives—
    how much more do their friends avoid them!(C)
Though the poor pursue them with pleading,
    they are nowhere to be found.[a](D)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:7 The meaning of the Hebrew for this sentence is uncertain.

19 The one who reveals secrets is a constant gossip;(A)
avoid someone with a big mouth.(B)

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19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(A)
    so avoid anyone who talks too much.

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24 Don’t make friends with an angry person,[a]
and don’t be a companion of a hot-tempered one,(A)
25 or you will learn his ways(B)
and entangle yourself in a snare.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:24 Lit with a master of anger

Saying 3

24 Do not make friends with a hot-tempered person,
    do not associate with one easily angered,
25 or you may learn their ways
    and get yourself ensnared.(A)

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