11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,(A)
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(B)

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11 What the righteous say[a] is a flowing fountain,[b]
    but what the wicked say[c] conceals violence.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:11 Lit. The mouth of the righteous
  2. Proverbs 10:11 Lit. a fountain of life
  3. Proverbs 10:11 Lit. but the mouth of the wicked

The tongue that heals is a tree of life,(A)
but a devious tongue[a] breaks the spirit.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:4 Lit but crookedness in it

A gentle statement[a] is a tree of life,
    but perverted speech shatters the spirit.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:4 Lit. tongue

23 A man takes joy in giving an answer;[a]
and a timely word—how good that is!(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:23 Lit in an answer of his mouth

23 An appropriate answer brings joy to a person,
    and a well-timed word is a good thing.

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23 A wise heart instructs its mouth
and increases learning with its speech.[a](A)

24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb:(B)
sweet to the taste[b] and health to the body.[c](C)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:23 Lit learning upon his lips
  2. Proverbs 16:24 Lit throat
  3. Proverbs 16:24 Lit bones

23 A wise person’s thoughts[a] control his words,
    and his speech promotes instruction.
24 Pleasant words are honey from a honeycomb—
    sweet to the soul and healing for the body.[b]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:23 Lit. heart
  2. Proverbs 16:24 Lit. bone

The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters,(A)
a flowing river, a fountain of wisdom.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:4 Or waters; a fountain of wisdom is a flowing river.

The words a man says are as deep waters—
    a fountain of wisdom is an overflowing stream.

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21 Life and death are in the power of the tongue,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.(A)

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21 The power of the tongue is life and death—
    those who love to talk[a] will eat what it produces.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:21 Lit. love it

23 Smooth[a] lips with an evil heart
are like glaze on an earthen vessel.(A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 LXX; MT reads Burning

23 A clay vessel plated with a thin veneer of silver—
    that’s what smooth[a] lips with a wicked heart are.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 So LXX; MT reads burning