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23 Like an earthen (A)vessel overlaid with silver (B)dross
Are fiery lips and an evil heart.
24 He who (C)hates disguises it with his lips,
But he sets up (D)deceit within himself.
25 When he (E)makes his voice gracious, do not believe him,
For there are seven abominations in his heart.
26 Though his hatred (F)covers itself with guile,
His evil will be (G)revealed in the assembly.

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23 Fervent[a] lips and an evil heart
are like a glaze[b] covering a clay pot.
24 With his lips a person hides his hatred,
but he hides deceit inside.
25 When his voice sounds gracious, do not believe him,
because seven abominations are in his heart.
26 His hatred covers itself with deceit,
but his evil will be revealed in the assembly.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 The translation follows the Hebrew. The Greek Old Testament reads smooth.
  2. Proverbs 26:23 The Hebrew text reads silver dross. Combining two Hebrew words into one word yields the translation glaze.

23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,(A)
    but in their hearts they harbor deceit.(B)
25 Though their speech is charming,(C) do not believe them,
    for seven abominations fill their hearts.(D)
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
    but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth

Those who forsake the law (A)praise the wicked,
But those who keep the law (B)strive with them.

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Those who abandon the law[a] praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law oppose them.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 28:4 Or instruction or teaching

Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked,
    but those who heed it resist them.

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The (A)righteous knows the cause of the poor,
The wicked does not understand that knowledge.

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A righteous person acknowledges the rights of the poor,
but a wicked person does not understand such knowledge.

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The righteous care about justice for the poor,(A)
    but the wicked have no such concern.

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12 If a (A)ruler pays attention to a lying word,
All his ministers become wicked.

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12 If a ruler listens to lies,
all his officials become wicked.

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12 If a ruler(A) listens to lies,
    all his officials become wicked.(B)

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