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27 A worthless man devises mischief.
    His speech is like a scorching fire.
28 A perverse man stirs up strife.
    A whisperer separates close friends.
29 A man of violence entices his neighbor,
    and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
    one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.

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27 A (A)worthless person digs up evil,
While [a]his words are like (B)scorching fire.
28 A perverse person spreads strife,
And a [b]slanderer separates close friends.
29 A person of violence (C)entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:27 Lit on his lips
  2. Proverbs 16:28 Or gossip

27 A scoundrel(A) plots evil,
    and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.(B)

28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,(C)
    and a gossip separates close friends.(D)

29 A violent person entices their neighbor
    and leads them down a path that is not good.(E)

30 Whoever winks(F) with their eye is plotting perversity;
    whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

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An evildoer heeds wicked lips.
    A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

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An (A)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A [a]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:4 Lit falsehood

A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
    a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

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He who covers an offense promotes love;
    but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.

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One who (A)conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter (B)separates close friends.

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Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(A)
    but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(B)

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19 He who loves disobedience loves strife.
    One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.
20 One who has a perverse heart doesn’t find prosperity,
    and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.

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19 One who (A)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who (B)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked [a]mind (C)finds nothing good,
And one who is [b](D)corrupted in his language falls into evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:20 Lit heart
  2. Proverbs 17:20 Lit altered in his tongue

19 Whoever loves a quarrel loves sin;
    whoever builds a high gate invites destruction.

20 One whose heart is corrupt does not prosper;
    one whose tongue is perverse falls into trouble.

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24 Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding,
    but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

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24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the (A)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

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24 A discerning person keeps wisdom in view,
    but a fool’s eyes(A) wander to the ends of the earth.

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18 A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness,
    and defies all sound judgment.
A fool has no delight in understanding,
    but only in revealing his own opinion.

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Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

18 One who separates himself seeks his own desire;
He [a](A)quarrels against all sound wisdom.
A fool does not delight in understanding,
But (B)in revealing his own [b]mind.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:1 Lit breaks out
  2. Proverbs 18:2 Lit heart

18 An unfriendly person pursues selfish ends
    and against all sound judgment starts quarrels.

Fools find no pleasure in understanding
    but delight in airing their own opinions.(A)

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23 The poor plead for mercy,
    but the rich answer harshly.

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23 A (A)poor person utters pleadings,
But a (B)rich person (C)answers defiantly.

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23 The poor plead for mercy,
    but the rich answer harshly.

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Wealth adds many friends,
    but the poor is separated from his friend.

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(A)Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor person is separated from his friend.

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Wealth attracts many friends,
    but even the closest friend of the poor person deserts them.(A)

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Many will entreat the favor of a ruler,
    and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

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(A)Many will seek the favor of a [a]generous person,
And every person is a friend to (B)him who gives gifts.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:6 Or noble

Many curry favor with a ruler,(A)
    and everyone is the friend of one who gives gifts.(B)

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