61 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
61 lines
2.6 KiB
Markdown
# Chapter 20
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1 Wine produces mockers; alcohol leads to brawls.
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Those led astray by drink cannot be wise.
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2 The king’s fury is like a lion’s roar;
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to rouse his anger is to risk your life.
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3 Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor;
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only fools insist on quarreling.
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4 Those too lazy to plow in the right season
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will have no food at the harvest.
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5 Though good advice lies deep within the heart,
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a person with understanding will draw it out.
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6 Many will say they are loyal friends,
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but who can find one who is truly reliable?
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7 The godly walk with integrity;
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blessed are their children who follow them.
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8 When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence,
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distinguishing the bad from the good.
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9 Who can say, “I have cleansed my heart;
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I am pure and free from sin”?
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10 False weights and unequal measures—
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the Lord detests double standards of every kind.
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11 Even children are known by the way they act,
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whether their conduct is pure, and whether it is right.
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12 Ears to hear and eyes to see—
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both are gifts from the Lord.
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13 If you love sleep, you will end in poverty.
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Keep your eyes open, and there will be plenty to eat!
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14 The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,”
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then brags about getting a bargain!
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15 Wise words are more valuable
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than much gold and many rubies.
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16 Get security from someone who guarantees a stranger’s debt.
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Get a deposit if he does it for foreigners.
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17 Stolen bread tastes sweet,
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but it turns to gravel in the mouth.
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18 Plans succeed through good counsel;
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don’t go to war without wise advice.
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19 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
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so don’t hang around with chatterers.
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20 If you insult your father or mother,
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your light will be snuffed out in total darkness.
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21 An inheritance obtained too early in life
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is not a blessing in the end.
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22 Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.”
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Wait for the Lord to handle the matter.
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23 The Lord detests double standards;
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he is not pleased by dishonest scales.
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24 The Lord directs our steps,
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so why try to understand everything along the way?
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25 Don’t trap yourself by making a rash promise to God
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and only later counting the cost.
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26 A wise king scatters the wicked like wheat,
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then runs his threshing wheel over them.
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27 The Lord’s light penetrates the human spirit,
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exposing every hidden motive.
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28 Unfailing love and faithfulness protect the king;
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his throne is made secure through love.
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29 The glory of the young is their strength;
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the gray hair of experience is the splendor of the old.
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30 Physical punishment cleanses away evil;
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such discipline purifies the heart. |