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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 Dead flies cause a perfumer's perfume To send forth a stink; The precious by reason of wisdom By reason of honour a little folly! |
Dead flies - Theological errors which mar the pleasure and profit of truth. R1211:6, R2064:4
Stinking savour – Bad spirit. R2064:4
Doctrines of devils in our creeds which blaspheme God's character. R5673:6, R5674:1
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| 2 The heart of the wise [is] at his right hand, And the heart of a fool at his left. |
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| 3 And also, when he that is a fool Is walking in the way, his heart is lacking, And he hath said to every one, 'He [is] a fool.' |
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| 4 If the spirit of the ruler go up against thee, Thy place leave not, For yielding quieteth great sinners. |
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| 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, As an error that goeth out from the ruler, |
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| 6 He hath set the fool in many high places, And the rich in a low place do sit. |
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| 7 I have seen servants on horses, And princes walking as servants on the earth. |
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| 8 Whoso is digging a pit falleth into it, And whoso is breaking a hedge, a serpent biteth him. |
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| 9 Whoso is removing stones is grieved by them, Whoso is cleaving trees endangered by them. |
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| 10 If the iron hath been blunt, And he the face hath not sharpened, Then doth he increase strength, And wisdom [is] advantageous to make right. |
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| 11 If the serpent biteth without enchantment, Then there is no advantage to a master of the tongue. |
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| 12 Words of the mouth of the wise [are] gracious, And the lips of a fool swallow him up. |
Lips of a fool – An unwise, reckless talker. R1937:3
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| 13 The beginning of the words of his mouth [is] folly, And the latter end of his mouth [Is] mischievous madness.
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| 14 And the fool multiplieth words: 'Man knoweth not that which is, And that which is after him, who doth declare to him ' |
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| 15 The labour of the foolish wearieth him, In that he hath not known to go unto the city. |
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| 16 Wo to thee, O land, when thy king [is] a youth, And thy princes do eat in the morning. |
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| 17 Happy art thou, O land, When thy king [is] a son of freemen, And thy princes do eat in due season, For might, and not for drunkenness. |
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| 18 By slothfulness is the wall brought low, And by idleness of the hands doth the house drop. |
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| 19 For mirth they are making a feast, And wine maketh life joyful, And the silver answereth with all. |
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| 20 Even in thy mind a king revile not, And in the inner parts of thy bed-chamber Revile not the rich: For a fowl of the heavens causeth the voice to go, And a possessor of wings declareth the word. |
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