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23.17 :Let not thy heart envy sinners,
 * But be in the fear of the all the day;
 * For surely there is a future;
 * And thy hope shall not be cut off.


 * Hear thou, my son, and be wise,
 * And guide thy heart in the way.
 * Be not among winebibbers;
 * Among gluttonous eaters of flesh;
 * For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty;
 * And drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.


 * Hearken unto thy father that begot thee,
 * And despise not thy mother when she is old.


 * Buy the truth, and sell it not;
 * Also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
 * The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice;
 * And he that begetteth a wise child will have joy of him.
 * Let thy father and thy mother be glad,
 * And let her that bore thee rejoice.


 * My son, give me thy heart,
 * And let thine eyes observe my ways.
 * For a harlot is a deep ditch;
 * And an alien woman is a narrow pit.
 * She also lieth in wait as a robber,
 * And increaseth the faithless among men.


 * Who crieth: 'Woe'? who: 'Alas'?
 * Who hath contentions? who hath raving?
 * Who hath wounds without cause?
 * Who hath redness of eyes?
 * They that tarry long at the wine;
 * They that go to try mixed wine.
 * Look not thou upon the wine when it is red,
 * When it giveth its colour in the cup,
 * When it glideth down smoothly;
 * At the last it biteth like a serpent,
 * And stingeth like a basilisk.
 * Thine eyes shall behold strange things,
 * And thy heart shall utter confused things.
 * Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea,
 * Or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.
 * 'They have struck me, and I felt it not,
 * They have beaten me, and I knew it not;
 * When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.'


 * Be not thou envious of evil men,
 * Neither desire to be with them.
 * For their heart studieth destruction,
 * And their lips talk of mischief.


 * Through wisdom is a house builded;
 * And by understanding it is established;
 * And by knowledge are the chambers filled
 * With all precious and pleasant riches.


 * A wise man is strong;
 * Yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.
 * For with wise advice thou shalt make thy war;
 * And in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.


 * Wisdom is as unattainable to a fool as corals;
 * He openeth not his mouth in the gate.