²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is pure silver;
the heart of the wicked is of little value.^(A)

²¹ The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.^(B)

³¹ The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom,^(A)
but a perverse tongue will be cut out.^(B)

³² The lips of the righteous know what is appropriate,^(C)
but the mouth of the wicked, only what is perverse.^(D)

¹¹ A city is built up by the blessing of the upright,^(A)
but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.^(B)

¹³ An evil man is trapped by his rebellious speech,^(A)
but a righteous one escapes from trouble.^(B)

¹⁴ A man will be satisfied with good
by the words of his mouth,^(C)
and the work of a man’s hands will reward him.^(D)

² From the words of his mouth,
a man will enjoy good things,^(A)
but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.^(B)

²⁸ The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering,^(A)
but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.^(B)

⁴ A wicked person listens to malicious talk;^[a]
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.