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21 
For the heavy drinker and the glutton will come to poverty,
And the drowsiness [of overindulgence] will clothe one with rags.

22 
Listen to your father, who sired you,
And do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 
[a]Buy truth, and do not sell it;
Get wisdom and instruction and understanding.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:23 The ancient rabbis routinely assumed “truth” to refer to the Torah (Law), and they interpreted the first part of this command to mean that a student should pay a teacher to teach him the Torah if he can find no one to teach him for free. As for the second part, they said that if the student had to pay to learn, he should not view this as grounds to charge for teaching others, but should teach the Torah for free.

21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,(A)
    and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

Saying 17

22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
    and do not despise your mother when she is old.(B)
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
    wisdom, instruction and insight as well.(C)

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