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20 When there is no more wood, a fire goes out,
and without gossip, a quarrel dies down.
21 As charcoal is to hot embers and as wood is to fire,
so a quarrelsome person is to igniting a fight.

22 Words of a gossip are like food that is easy to swallow.
They go down to the depths of one’s heart.[a]
23 Fervent[b] lips and an evil heart
are like a glaze[c] covering a clay pot.
24 With his lips a person hides his hatred,
but he hides deceit inside.
25 When his voice sounds gracious, do not believe him,
because seven abominations are in his heart.
26 His hatred covers itself with deceit,
but his evil will be revealed in the assembly.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:22 Literally the innermost rooms of the belly
  2. Proverbs 26:23 The translation follows the Hebrew. The Greek Old Testament reads smooth.
  3. Proverbs 26:23 The Hebrew text reads silver dross. Combining two Hebrew words into one word yields the translation glaze.

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

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