Proverbs 24:5-7
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
5 The wise are more powerful than the strong,
and the learned, than the mighty,(A)
6 For by strategy war is waged,
and victory depends on many counselors.(B)
7 [a]Wise words are beyond fools’ reach,(C)
in the assembly they do not open their mouth;
Footnotes
- 24:7–9 The verses are unclear; most scholars take them as two or even three single sayings, but, taken singly, the verses are banal. They are best taken as a single statement. Just as vv. 3–6 described the advantages of wisdom, so vv. 7–9 describe the disadvantages of its opposite, folly: it alienates one from the community (v. 7), for fools become notorious (v. 8), dooming their plans and ostracizing themselves.
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