| Chapter 21 |
1 | The king's heart in the hands of the Lord is like the water streams, and by him it is turned in any direction at his pleasure.
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2 | Every way of a man seems right to himself, but the Lord is the tester of hearts.
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3 | To do what is right and true is more pleasing to the Lord than an offering.
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4 | A high look and a heart of pride, *** of the evil-doer is sin.
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5 | The purposes of the man of industry have their outcome only in wealth; but one who is over-quick in acting will only come to be in need.
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6 | He who gets stores of wealth by a false tongue, is going after what is only breath, and searching for death.
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7 | By their violent acts the evil-doers will be pulled away, because they have no desire to do what is right.
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8 | Twisted is the way of him who is full of crime; but as for him whose heart is clean, his work is upright.
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9 | It is better to be living in an angle of the house-top, than with a bitter-tongued woman in a wide house.
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10 | The desire of the evil-doer is fixed on evil: he has no kind feeling for his neighbour.
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11 | When the man of pride undergoes punishment, the simple man gets wisdom; and by watching the wise he gets knowledge.
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12 | The Upright One, looking on the house of the evil-doer, lets sinners be overturned to their destruction.
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13 | He whose ears are stopped at the cry of the poor, will himself get no answer to his cry for help.
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14 | By a secret offering wrath is turned away, and the heat of angry feelings by money in the folds of the robe.
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15 | It is a joy to the good man to do right, but it is destruction to the workers of evil.
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16 | The wanderer from the way of knowledge will have his resting-place among the shades.
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17 | The lover of pleasure will be a poor man: the lover of wine and oil will not get wealth.
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18 | The evil-doer will be given as a price for the life of the good man, and the worker of deceit in the place of the upright.
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19 | It is better to be living in a waste land, than with a bitter-tongued and angry woman.
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20 | There is a store of great value in the house of the wise, but it is wasted by the foolish man.
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21 | He who goes after righteousness and mercy will get life, righteousness, and honour.
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22 | A wise man goes up into the town of the strong ones, and overcomes its strength in which they put their faith.
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23 | He who keeps watch over his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles.
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24 | The man of pride, lifted up in soul, is named high-hearted; he is acting in an outburst of pride.
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25 | The desire of the hater of work is death to him, for his hands will do no work.
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26 | All the day the sinner goes after his desire: but the upright man gives freely, keeping nothing back.
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27 | The offering of evil-doers is disgusting: how much more when they give it with an evil purpose!
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28 | A false witness will be cut off, ...
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29 | The evil-doer makes his face hard, but as for the upright, he gives thought to his way.
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30 | Wisdom and knowledge and wise suggestions are of no use against the Lord.
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31 | The horse is made ready for the day of war, but power to overcome is from the Lord.
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