³ Let not mercy and truth forsake you;
^(A)Bind them around your neck,
^(B)Write them on the tablet of your heart,

^13 (A)A talebearer reveals secrets,
But he who is of a faithful spirit ^(B)conceals a matter.

²² Do they not go astray who devise evil?
But mercy and truth belong to those who devise good.

^6 (A)In mercy and truth
Atonement is provided for iniquity;
And ^(B)by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.

^17 (A)A friend loves at all times,
And a brother is born for adversity.

²² What is desired in a man is ^[a]kindness,
And a poor man is better than a liar.

⁶ Most men will proclaim each his own ^[a]goodness,
But who can find a faithful man?

^28 (A)Mercy and truth preserve the king,
And by ^[a]lovingkindness he upholds his throne.

²⁶ My son, give me your heart,
And let your eyes observe my ways.
^27 (A)For a harlot is a deep pit,
And a seductress is a narrow well.
^28 (B)She also lies in wait as for a victim,
And increases the unfaithful among men.

^13 (A)Like the cold of snow in time of harvest
Is a faithful messenger to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his masters.