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Do not envy wicked men or desire their company;
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for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
The meaning of wisdom
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By wisdom a house is built and by understanding it is established;
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through knowledge its rooms are filled with every precious and beautiful treasure.
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A wise man is strong,(a) and a man of knowledge enhances his strength.
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Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.
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Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
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He who plots evil will be called a schemer.
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A foolish scheme is sin, and a mocker is detestable to men.
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If you faint in the day of distress, how small is your strength!
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Rescue those being led away to death, and restrain those stumbling toward the slaughter.
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If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
Advice to a son
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Eat honey, my son, for it is good, and the honeycomb is sweet to your taste.
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Know therefore that wisdom is sweet to your soul. If you find it, there is a future for you, and your hope will never be cut off.
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Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, near the dwelling of the righteous; do not destroy his resting place.
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For though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.
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Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,
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or the LORD will see and disapprove, and turn His wrath away from him.
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Do not fret over evildoers, and do not be envious of the wicked.
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For the evil man has no future; the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
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My son, fear the LORD and the king, and do not associate with the rebellious.
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For they will bring sudden destruction. Who knows what ruin they can bring?
The sayings of the wise
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These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
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Whoever tells the guilty, “You are innocent”— peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
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but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and rich blessing will come upon them.
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An honest answer given is like a kiss on the lips.
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Complete your outdoor work and prepare your field; after that, you may build your house.
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Do not testify against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.
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Do not say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.”
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I went past the field of a slacker and by the vineyard of a man lacking judgment.
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Thorns had grown up everywhere, thistles had covered the ground, and the stone wall was broken down.
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I observed and took it to heart; I looked and received instruction:
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A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest,
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and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and need like a bandit.
Footnotes