11 (A)discretion will (B)watch over you,
    understanding will guard you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men of perverted speech,
13 who forsake the paths of uprightness
    to (C)walk in the ways of darkness,
14 who (D)rejoice in doing evil
    and (E)delight in the perverseness of evil,
15 men whose (F)paths are crooked,
    (G)and who are (H)devious in their ways.

16 So (I)you will be delivered from the forbidden[a] woman,
    from (J)the adulteress[b] with (K)her smooth words,
17 who forsakes (L)the companion of her youth
    and forgets (M)the covenant of her God;
18 (N)for her house sinks down to death,
    and her paths to the departed;[c]
19 none who go to her come back,
    nor do they regain the paths of life.

20 So you will walk in the way of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright (O)will inhabit the land,
    and those with integrity will remain in it,
22 but the wicked will be (P)cut off from the land,
    and the treacherous will be (Q)rooted out of it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew strange
  2. Proverbs 2:16 Hebrew foreign woman
  3. Proverbs 2:18 Hebrew to the Rephaim

11 Discretion[a] will protect you;
    understanding will watch over you,
12 delivering you from the way of evil,
    from men who speak perverse things,
13 and from those who abandon the right[b] path
    to travel along the ways of darkness;
14 who delight in doing evil,
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil;
15 whose paths are crooked
    and who are devious in their ways,
16 delivering you from the adulteress,
    from the immoral[c] woman with her seductive words,
17 someone who abandoned the companion of her youth
        and forgot the covenant of her God.
18 For her house leads down to death,
    and her paths down to the realm of the dead.
19 None who go to her return,
nor do they reach the paths of life.

20 This is how you will walk in the way of good men
    and will keep to the paths of the righteous.

21 For the upright will live in the land,
    and people of integrity will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land,
    and the treacherous will be uprooted from it.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:11 Or Wise planning
  2. Proverbs 2:13 Lit. straight or upright
  3. Proverbs 2:16 Lit. foreign; i.e. one whose values are foreign to God’s Law

31 (A)Do not envy (B)a man of violence
    and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for (C)the devious person is an abomination to the Lord,
    but the upright are (D)in his confidence.

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31 Do not envy a violent man,
    and do not emulate his lifestyle.[a]
32 Indeed, a perverse man is utterly disgusting[b] to the Lord,
    but he takes the upright into his confidence.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 3:31 Lit. ways
  2. Proverbs 3:32 Lit. an abomination
  3. Proverbs 3:32 Lit. but his secret counsel is with the upright

12 (A)A worthless person, a wicked man,
    goes about with (B)crooked speech,
13 (C)winks with his eyes, signals[a] with his feet,
    points with his finger,
14 with (D)perverted heart (E)devises evil,
    continually (F)sowing discord;
15 therefore calamity will come upon him suddenly;
    (G)in a moment he will be broken (H)beyond healing.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:13 Hebrew scrapes

The Folly of Causing Strife

12 A worthless man, a wicked man,
    goes around with devious speech,
13 winking with his eyes, making signs[a] with[b] his feet,
    pointing with his fingers,
14 planning evil with a perverse mind,[c]
    continually stirring up discord.
15 Therefore, disaster will overtake him suddenly.
    He will be broken in an instant,
        and he will never recover.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:13 Lit. scraping
  2. Proverbs 6:13 The Heb. lacks with
  3. Proverbs 6:14 Or heart

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

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:6 Or but violence covers the mouth of the wicked; also verse 11

The Righteous and Wicked Compared

Blessings come[a] upon the head of the righteous,
    but the words[b] of the wicked conceal violence.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:6 The Heb. lacks come
  2. Proverbs 10:6 Lit. mouth

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

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11 What the righteous say[a] is a flowing fountain,[b]
    but what the wicked say[c] conceals violence.
12 Hatred awakens contention,
    but love covers all transgressions.
13 Wisdom characterizes the speech[d] of the discerning,
    but the rod is for the backs of those lacking discernment.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:11 Lit. The mouth of the righteous
  2. Proverbs 10:11 Lit. a fountain of life
  3. Proverbs 10:11 Lit. but the mouth of the wicked
  4. Proverbs 10:13 Lit. Wisdom is found on the lips

18 The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,
    and whoever utters slander is a fool.

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18 Whoever conceals hatred is a deceitful liar,
    and whoever spreads slander is a fool.

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13 Whoever (A)goes about slandering reveals secrets,
    but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.

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13 Whoever spreads gossip betrays secrets,
    but the trustworthy person[a] keeps a confidence.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 11:13 Lit. trustworthy in spirit

15 (A)The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
    but a wise man listens to advice.
16 (B)The vexation of a fool is known at once,
    but the prudent ignores an insult.
17 (C)Whoever speaks[a] the truth gives honest evidence,
    but (D)a false witness utters deceit.
18 (E)There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts,
    but the tongue of the wise brings (F)healing.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:17 Hebrew breathes out

15 The lifestyle of the fool is right in his own opinion,
    but wise is the man who listens to advice.
16 The anger of a fool becomes readily apparent,
    but the prudent person overlooks an insult.

17 The truth teller speaks what is right,
    but the false witness speaks what is[a] deceitful.
18 Some speak rashly like the cutting of a sword,
    but what the wise say promotes healing.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:17 The Heb. lacks speaks what is

16 (A)Every prudent man acts with knowledge,
    (B)but a fool flaunts his folly.

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16 Every sensible person acts from knowledge,
    but a fool demonstrates folly.

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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

27 A worthless person concocts evil gossip[a]
    his lips are like a burning fire.

28 A deceitful man stirs dissension,
    and anyone who gossips separates friends.
29 A violent man entices his companion
    and leads him on a path that is not good.
30 Whoever winks knowingly[b] is plotting[c] deceit;
    anyone who purses his lips is bent towards evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:27 The Heb. lacks gossip
  2. Proverbs 16:30 Lit. with his eyes
  3. Proverbs 16:30 So MT; LXX Syr Targ Vg read winks with his eyes considers

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

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

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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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Anyone who overlooks[a] an offense promotes love,
    but someone who gossips separates close friends.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:9 Lit. covers