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27 A worthless man devises mischief.
    His speech is like a scorching fire.
28 A perverse man stirs up strife.
    A whisperer separates close friends.
29 A man of violence entices his neighbor,
    and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 One who winks his eyes to plot perversities,
    one who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.

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27 (A)A worthless man plots evil,
    and his speech[a] is like (B)a scorching fire.
28 (C)A dishonest man spreads strife,
    and (D)a whisperer (E)separates close friends.
29 A man of violence (F)entices his neighbor
    and leads him in a way that is not good.
30 Whoever winks his eyes plans[b] (G)dishonest things;
    he who (H)purses his lips brings evil to pass.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:27 Hebrew what is on his lips
  2. Proverbs 16:30 Hebrew to plan

An evildoer heeds wicked lips.
    A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

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An evildoer listens to wicked lips,
    and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

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He who covers an offense promotes love;
    but he who repeats a matter separates best friends.

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Whoever (A)covers an offense seeks love,
    but he who repeats a matter (B)separates close friends.

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19 He who loves disobedience loves strife.
    One who builds a high gate seeks destruction.
20 One who has a perverse heart doesn’t find prosperity,
    and one who has a deceitful tongue falls into trouble.

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19 Whoever loves transgression loves strife;
    he who (A)makes his door high seeks destruction.
20 (B)A man of crooked heart does not discover good,
    and one with a dishonest tongue falls into calamity.

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24 Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding,
    but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

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24 (A)The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,
    but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

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18 A man who isolates himself pursues selfishness,
    and defies all sound judgment.
A fool has no delight in understanding,
    but only in revealing his own opinion.

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18 Whoever (A)isolates himself seeks his own desire;
    he breaks out against all sound judgment.
A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,
    but only (B)in expressing his opinion.

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23 The poor plead for mercy,
    but the rich answer harshly.

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23 The poor use entreaties,
    but (A)the rich answer roughly.

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Wealth adds many friends,
    but the poor is separated from his friend.

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(A)Wealth brings many new friends,
    (B)but a poor man is deserted by his friend.

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Many will entreat the favor of a ruler,
    and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.

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Many seek the favor of a generous man,[a]
    and everyone is a friend to a man who gives (A)gifts.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:6 Or of a noble

Many men claim to be men of unfailing love,
    but who can find a faithful man?

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Many a man (A)proclaims his own steadfast love,
    but (B)a faithful man who can find?

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A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    scatters away all evil with his eyes.

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(A)A king who sits on the throne of judgment
    (B)winnows all evil with his eyes.

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14 “It’s no good, it’s no good,” says the buyer;
    but when he is gone his way, then he boasts.

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14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
    but when he goes away, then he boasts.

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19 He who goes about as a tale-bearer reveals secrets;
    therefore don’t keep company with him who opens wide his lips.

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19 Whoever (A)goes about slandering reveals secrets;
    therefore do not associate with (B)a simple babbler.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:19 Hebrew with one who is simple in his lips