With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
    but through knowledge the righteous escape.(A)

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With a mouth, the godless shall destroy his neighbor,
    but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

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The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
    but the speech of the upright rescues them.(A)

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The words of the wicked are an ambush of blood,
    but the mouth of the upright delivers them.

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27 A scoundrel(A) plots evil,
    and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.(B)

28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,(C)
    and a gossip separates close friends.(D)

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27 A man of wickedness concocts evil,
    and his lips are like a scorching fire.
28 A person of perversity will spread dissent,
    and he who whispers separates a close friend.

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Whoever mocks the poor(A) shows contempt for their Maker;(B)
    whoever gloats over disaster(C) will not go unpunished.(D)

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He who mocks the poor insults him who made him;
    he who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

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Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(A)
    but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(B)

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He who forgives an affront fosters love,
    but he who waits on a matter will alienate a friend.

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The lips of fools bring them strife,
    and their mouths invite a beating.(A)

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The lips of a fool will bring strife,
    and his mouth calls out for a flogging.

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The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.(A)

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The words of a whisper are like delicious morsels,
    and they themselves go down to inner parts of the body.

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19 Better the poor whose walk is blameless
    than a fool whose lips are perverse.(A)

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19 Better a poor person walking in integrity
    than one who is perverse in his speech[a] and is a fool.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 Literally “in his lips”

19 A gossip betrays a confidence;(A)
    so avoid anyone who talks too much.

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19 He reveals a secret, he who walks about with gossip,
    and do not associate with a babbler’s lips.

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10 Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife;
    quarrels and insults are ended.(A)

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10 Drive out a scoffer and strife will go out;
    quarrel and abuse will cease.

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If you take your neighbor to court,
    do not betray another’s confidence,
10 or the one who hears it may shame you
    and the charge against you will stand.

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Argue your argument with your neighbor himself,
    the secret of another do not disclose,
10 lest he who hears shame you
    and your ill repute will not end.

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23 Like a north wind that brings unexpected rain
    is a sly tongue—which provokes a horrified look.

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23 The wind of the north produces rain,
    and a backbiting tongue, angry faces.

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20 Without wood a fire goes out;
    without a gossip a quarrel dies down.(A)
21 As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire,
    so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.(B)
22 The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
    they go down to the inmost parts.(C)

23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth

20 For lack of wood, a fire goes out,
    and where there is no whisperer, quarreling will cease.
21 As charcoal is to hot embers and wood is to fire,
    so a man of quarrels is to kindling strife.
22 The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels,
    and they go down to the inner parts of the body.
23 Like impure silver[a] which overlays an earthen vessel,
    so are smooth lips and an evil heart[b].

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 Literally “silver of impurities”
  2. Proverbs 26:23 Or “mind”