20 The tongue of the righteous is choice silver,
    but the heart of the wicked is of little value.

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

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20 Choice silver is a tongue of righteousness,
    a heart[a] of wickedness is of little worth.[b]
21 Lips of righteousness feed many,
    but fools die for lack of sense.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:20 Or “mind”
  2. Proverbs 10:20 Literally “like a little”
  3. Proverbs 10:21 Literally “in the lack of heart, they die”

31 From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom,(A)
    but a perverse tongue(B) will be silenced.

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

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31 The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom,
    but a tongue of perversity will be cut off.
32 The lips of the righteous know the acceptable,
    but the mouth of the wicked, the perverse.

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11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,(A)
    but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed.(B)

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11 By the blessing of the upright, a city will be exalted,
    but by the mouth of the wicked, it will be overthrown.

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13 Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,(A)
    and so the innocent escape trouble.(B)

14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,(C)
    and the work of their hands brings them reward.(D)

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13 By the transgression of lips, evil is ensnared,
    but the righteous escapes from trouble.
14 From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he is filled with good,
    and the reward of a man’s labor[a] will return to him.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:14 Literally “the hands of a man”

From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things,(A)
    but the unfaithful have an appetite for violence.

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From the fruit of the mouth of a man, he shall eat what is good,
    but the desire[a] of the treacherous, wrongdoing.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:2 Or “soul”

28 The heart of the righteous weighs its answers,(A)
    but the mouth of the wicked gushes evil.(B)

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28 A heart[a] of righteousness will ponder the answer,
    but a mouth of wickedness will pour out deceit.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 15:28 Or “mind”

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

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He who does evil listens to lips of wickedness,
    and the liar gives heed to the tongue of mischief.

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