11 Discretion will watch over you,
and understanding will guard you.(A)
12 It will rescue you from the way of evil—
from anyone who says perverse things,
13 from those who abandon the right paths
to walk in ways of darkness,(B)
14 from those who enjoy doing evil(C)
and celebrate perversion,
15 whose paths are crooked,(D)
and whose ways are devious.(E)
16 It will rescue you from a forbidden woman,(F)
from a wayward woman with her flattering talk,(G)
17 who abandons the companion of her youth(H)
and forgets the covenant of her God;
18 for her house sinks down to death
and her ways to the land of the departed spirits.(I)
19 None return who go to her;
none reach the paths of life.(J)
20 So follow the way of the good,(K)
and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will inhabit the land,
and those of integrity will remain in it;(L)
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the land,(M)
and the treacherous ripped out of it.(N)

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11 prudence will watch over you,
    and understanding will guard you.
12 It will save you from the way of evil,
    from those who speak perversely,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to walk in the ways of darkness,(A)
14 who rejoice in doing evil
    and delight in the perverseness of evil,(B)
15 those whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways.(C)

16 You will be saved from the loose woman,[a]
    from the adulteress[b] with her smooth words,(D)
17 who forsakes the partner of her youth
    and forgets her sacred covenant,
18 for her way[c] leads down to death
    and her paths to the shades;(E)
19 those who go to her never come back,
    nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 Therefore walk in the way of the good,
    and keep to the paths of the just.
21 For the upright will abide in the land,
    and the innocent will remain in it,(F)
22 but the wicked will be cut off from the earth,
    and the treacherous will be rooted out of it.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 2.16 Heb strange woman
  2. 2.16 Heb alien woman
  3. 2.18 Cn: Heb house

31 Don’t envy a violent man(A)
or choose any of his ways;
32 for the devious are detestable to the Lord,
but he is a friend[a] to the upright.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. 3:32 Or confidential counsel

31 Do not envy the violent,
    and do not choose any of their ways,(A)
32 for the perverse are an abomination to the Lord,
    but the upright are in his confidence.(B)

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The Malicious Man

12 A worthless person,(A) a wicked man
goes around speaking dishonestly,(B)
13 winking(C) his eyes, signaling with his feet,
and gesturing with his fingers.
14 He always plots evil(D) with perversity in his heart;
he stirs up trouble.(E)
15 Therefore calamity will strike him suddenly;
he will be shattered instantly, beyond recovery.(F)

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12 A scoundrel and a villain
    goes around with crooked speech,(A)
13 winking the eyes, shuffling the feet,
    pointing the fingers,(B)
14 with perverted mind devising evil,
    continually sowing discord;(C)
15 on such a one calamity will descend suddenly,
    in a moment, damage beyond repair.(D)

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Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(A)

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Blessings are on the head of the righteous,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(A)

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11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,(A)
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(B)

12 Hatred stirs up conflicts,
but love covers all offenses.(C)

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,
but a rod is for the back of the one who lacks sense.(D)

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11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(A)
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
    but love covers all offenses.(B)
13 On the lips of one who has understanding wisdom is found,
    but a rod is for the back of one who lacks sense.(C)

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18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.(A)

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18 Lying lips conceal hatred,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.

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13 A gossip goes around revealing a secret,
but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.(A)

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13 A gossip goes about telling secrets,
    but one who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a confidence.(A)

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15 A fool’s way is right in his own eyes,(A)
but whoever listens to counsel is wise.

16 A fool’s displeasure is known at once,
but whoever ignores an insult is sensible.(B)

17 Whoever speaks the truth declares what is right,
but a false witness speaks deceit.(C)

18 There is one who speaks rashly,
like a piercing sword;(D)
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.(E)

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15 Fools think their own way is right,
    but the wise listen to advice.(A)
16 Fools show their anger at once,
    but the prudent ignore an insult.(B)
17 Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence,
    but a false witness speaks deceitfully.(C)
18 Rash words are like sword thrusts,
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.(D)

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16 Every sensible person acts knowledgeably,
but a fool displays his stupidity.(A)

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16 The clever do all things intelligently,
    but the fool displays folly.(A)

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27 A worthless person digs up evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.(A)

28 A contrary person spreads conflict,
and a gossip separates close friends.(B)

29 A violent person lures his neighbor,(C)
leading him on a path that is not good.(D)

30 The one who narrows his eyes is planning deceptions;
the one who compresses his lips brings about evil.(E)

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27 Scoundrels concoct evil,
    and their speech is like a scorching fire.(A)
28 A perverse person spreads strife,
    and a whisperer separates close friends.(B)
29 The violent entice their neighbors
    and lead them in a way that is not good.(C)
30 One who winks the eyes plans[a] perverse things;
    one who compresses the lips brings evil to pass.

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Footnotes

  1. 16.30 Gk Syr Vg Tg: Heb to plan

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

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

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Whoever conceals an offense promotes love,(A)
but whoever gossips about it separates friends.(B)

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One who forgives an affront fosters friendship,
    but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.(A)

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