20 The tongue of the righteous is pure silver;
the heart of the wicked is of little value.(A)

21 The lips of the righteous feed many,
but fools die for lack of sense.(B)

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20 The words of the godly are like sterling silver;
    the heart of a fool is worthless.

21 The words of the godly encourage many,
    but fools are destroyed by their lack of common sense.

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31 The mouth of the righteous produces wisdom,(A)
but a perverse tongue will be cut out.(B)

32 The lips of the righteous know what is appropriate,(C)
but the mouth of the wicked, only what is perverse.(D)

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31 The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice,
    but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.

32 The lips of the godly speak helpful words,
    but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.

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11 A city is built up by the blessing of the upright,(A)
but it is torn down by the mouth of the wicked.(B)

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11 Upright citizens are good for a city and make it prosper,
    but the talk of the wicked tears it apart.

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13 By rebellious speech an evil person is trapped,(A)
but a righteous person escapes from trouble.(B)

14 A person will be satisfied with good
by the fruit of his mouth,(C)
and the work of a person’s hands will reward him.(D)

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13 The wicked are trapped by their own words,
    but the godly escape such trouble.

14 Wise words bring many benefits,
    and hard work brings rewards.

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From the fruit of his mouth,
a person will enjoy good things,(A)
but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.(B)

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Wise words will win you a good meal,
    but treacherous people have an appetite for violence.

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28 The mind of the righteous person thinks before answering,(A)
but the mouth of the wicked blurts out evil things.(B)

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28 The heart of the godly thinks carefully before speaking;
    the mouth of the wicked overflows with evil words.

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A wicked person listens to malicious talk;[a]
a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

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Footnotes

  1. 17:4 Lit to lips of iniquity

Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;
    liars pay close attention to slander.

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