All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.

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All a person’s ways seem pure to them,(A)
    but motives are weighed(B) by the Lord.(C)

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Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts.

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A person may think their own ways are right,
    but the Lord weighs the heart.(A)

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But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

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But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance,(A) but the Lord looks at the heart.”(B)

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15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

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15 He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves(A) in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts.(B) What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight.

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12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

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12 those who are pure in their own eyes(A)
    and yet are not cleansed of their filth;(B)

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12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

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12 If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,”
    does not he who weighs(A) the heart perceive it?
Does not he who guards your life know it?
    Will he not repay(B) everyone according to what they have done?(C)

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For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

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In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.(A)

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10 I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

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10 “I the Lord search the heart(A)
    and examine the mind,(B)
to reward(C) each person according to their conduct,
    according to what their deeds deserve.”(D)

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22 For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord God.

23 How canst thou say, I am not polluted, I have not gone after Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways;

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22 Although you wash(A) yourself with soap(B)
    and use an abundance of cleansing powder,
    the stain of your guilt is still before me,”
declares the Sovereign Lord.(C)
23 “How can you say, ‘I am not defiled;(D)
    I have not run after the Baals’?(E)
See how you behaved in the valley;(F)
    consider what you have done.
You are a swift she-camel
    running(G) here and there,

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21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.

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21 For your ways are in full view(A) of the Lord,
    and he examines(B) all your paths.(C)

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The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

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The path of the righteous is level;(A)
    you, the Upright One,(B) make the way of the righteous smooth.(C)

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25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

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25 There is a way that appears to be right,(A)
    but in the end it leads to death.(B)

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And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

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The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector

To some who were confident of their own righteousness(A) and looked down on everyone else,(B) Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray,(C) one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself(D) and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.

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