²⁰ The tongue of the righteous is choice silver;
    the mind of the wicked is of little worth.^(A)
21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.

³¹ The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but the perverse tongue will be cut off.^(A)
32 The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable,
    but the mouth of the wicked what is perverse.

¹¹ By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
    but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.^(A)

¹³ The evil are ensnared by the transgression of their lips,
    but the righteous escape from trouble.^(A)
14 From the fruit of the mouth one is filled with good things,
    and manual labor has its reward.^(B)

² From the fruit of their words good persons eat good things,
    but the desire of the treacherous is for wrongdoing.

²⁸ The mind of the righteous ponders how to answer,
    but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil.^(A)

⁴ An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
    and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.