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Respect and Obey God

I was a wise teacher with much understanding, and I collected a number of proverbs that I had carefully studied. 10 Then I tried to explain these things in the best and most accurate way.

11 Words of wisdom are like the stick a farmer uses to make animals move. These sayings come from a shepherd,[a] and they are like nails that fasten things together.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. 12.11 a shepherd: This may be a reference to God as shepherd (see also Psalm 23.1).
  2. 12.11 These sayings … together: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.

The Conclusion of the Matter

Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs.(A) 10 The Teacher(B) searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.(C)

11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails(D)—given by one shepherd.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Ecclesiastes 12:11 Or Shepherd