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Praise Yahweh! Sing to Yahweh a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.

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Let Israel rejoice in him who made them. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

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Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp!

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For Yahweh takes pleasure in his people. He crowns the humble with salvation.

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Let the saints rejoice in honor. Let them sing for joy on their beds.

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May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hand;

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To execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples;

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To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

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to execute on them the written judgment. All his saints have this honor. Praise Yah!

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Praise Yah! Praise God in his sanctuary! Praise him in his heavens for his acts of power!

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Praise him for his mighty acts! Praise him according to his excellent greatness!

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Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet! Praise him with harp and lyre!

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Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!

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Praise him with loud cymbals! Praise him with resounding cymbals!

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Let everything that has breath praise Yah! Praise Yah!

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The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

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to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

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to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

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to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:

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that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

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to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

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The fear of Yahweh is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

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My son, listen to your father’s instruction, and don’t forsake your mother’s teaching:

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for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

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My son, if sinners entice you, don’t consent.

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If they say, “Come with us, Let’s lay in wait for blood; let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

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let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

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We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with spoil.

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You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse.”

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My son, don’t walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

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for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

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For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

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but these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

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So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

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Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

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She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

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“How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

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Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

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Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

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but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

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I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;

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when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you.

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Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

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because they hated knowledge, and didn’t choose the fear of Yahweh.

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They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

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Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

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For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

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But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm.”

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My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you;

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So as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding;

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Yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding;

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If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures:

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then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.

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For Yahweh gives wisdom. Out of his mouth comes knowledge and understanding.

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He lays up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk in integrity;

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that he may guard the paths of justice, and preserve the way of his saints.

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Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path.

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For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

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Discretion will watch over you. Understanding will keep you,

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to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

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who forsake the paths of uprightness, to walk in the ways of darkness;

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who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;

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who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:

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To deliver you from the strange woman, even from the foreigner who flatters with her words;

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who forsakes the friend of her youth, and forgets the covenant of her God:

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for her house leads down to death, her paths to the dead.

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None who go to her return again, neither do they attain to the paths of life:

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that you may walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous.

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For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.

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But the wicked will be cut off from the land. The treacherous will be rooted out of it.

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My son, don’t forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments:

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for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you.

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Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.

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So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

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Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding.

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In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

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Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil.

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It will be health to your body, and nourishment to your bones.

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Honor Yahweh with your substance, with the first fruits of all your increase:

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so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.

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My son, don’t despise Yahweh’s discipline, neither be weary of his reproof:

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for whom Yahweh loves, he reproves; even as a father reproves the son in whom he delights.

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Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding.

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For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold.

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She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her.

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Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor.

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Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace.

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She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

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By wisdom Yahweh founded the earth. By understanding, he established the heavens.

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By his knowledge, the depths were broken up, and the skies drop down the dew.

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My son, let them not depart from your eyes. Keep sound wisdom and discretion:

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so they will be life to your soul, and grace for your neck.

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Then you shall walk in your way securely. Your foot won’t stumble.

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When you lie down, you will not be afraid. Yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.

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Don’t be afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it comes:

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for Yahweh will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being taken.

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Don’t withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

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Don’t say to your neighbor, “Go, and come again; tomorrow I will give it to you,” when you have it by you.

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Don’t devise evil against your neighbor, since he dwells securely by you.

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Don’t strive with a man without cause, if he has done you no harm.