An (A)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A [a]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:4 Lit falsehood

Whoever practices evil pays attention to wicked speech,
    and the liar listens to malicious talk.

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20 One who has a crooked [a]mind (A)finds nothing good,
And one who is [b](B)corrupted in his language falls into evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:20 Lit heart
  2. Proverbs 17:20 Lit altered in his tongue

20 The person whose mind[a] is perverse does not find good,
    and anyone with perverted speech falls into trouble.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:20 Lit. heart

On Life and Conduct

19 (A)Better is a poor person who (B)walks in his integrity
Than a person who is perverse in [a]speech and is a fool.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 Lit his lips

The Priorities of Life Contrasted

19 A poor man who walks blamelessly is better
than a fool who speaks perversely.

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18 Like a maniac who shoots
(A)Flaming arrows, arrows, and death,
19 So is a person who (B)deceives his neighbor,
And says, “(C)Was I not joking?”

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18 Like the maniac who shoots
    fiery darts and deadly arrows—
19 that’s what someone is like who lies to his neighbor
    and then says, “I was joking, wasn’t I?”

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28 A lying tongue hates [a]those it crushes,
And a (A)flattering mouth works ruin.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:28 Lit its crushed ones

28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth causes ruin.

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