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

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

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20 One with a twisted mind will not succeed,
and one with deceitful speech will fall into ruin.(A)

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20 He who is crooked of heart[a] will not find goodness,
    and he who is perverse, by his tongue he will fall into calamity.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:20 Or “mind”

19 Better a poor person who lives with integrity(A)
than someone who has deceitful lips and is a fool.

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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”

18 Like a madman who throws flaming darts and deadly arrows,(A)
19 so is the person who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I was only joking!”

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18 Like a maniac who shoots
    firebrands, arrows, and death,
19 so is a man who deceives his neighbor,
    but says “Am I not joking?”

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28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes,
and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

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28 A tongue of deceit hates its victim,
    and a flattering mouth makes ruin.

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