Proverbs 2:11-22
International Standard Version
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:11 Or Wise planning
- Proverbs 2:13 Lit. straight or upright
- Proverbs 2:16 Lit. foreign; i.e. one whose values are foreign to God’s Law
Proverbs 2:11-22
Lexham English Bible
11 Discretion will watch over you;
understanding will protect you,
12 in order to deliver you from the way of evil,[a]
from a man who speaks devious things—
13 those who forsake the paths of uprightness
to walk in ways of darkness,
14 those who are happy to do evil,
for they delight in the deviousness of evil,
15 who are crooked in their ways,[b]
and devious in their paths;
16 in order to deliver you from a strange woman,
from a foreign woman who flatters[c] with her sayings,
17 she who forsakes the partner of her youth
and has forgotten the covenant of her God,
18 for her house sinks to death,
and to the dead[d] are her paths.
19 Of all who go to her, none shall return,
nor do they reach paths of life.
20 So that you will walk on the road of those who are good,
and the paths of those who are righteous you shall keep.
21 For those who are upright will dwell in the land,[e]
and those who are blameless[f] will remain in it.
22 And those who are wicked will be cut off from the land,
and those who are treacherous will be uprooted from it.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 2:12 Or “evildoer”
- Proverbs 2:15 Literally “that in their ways are crooked”
- Proverbs 2:16 Or “makes smooth”
- Proverbs 2:18 Or “Rephaim”
- Proverbs 2:21 Or “earth”
- Proverbs 2:21 Or “innocent”
Proverbs 3:31-32
International Standard Version
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]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 3:31 Lit. ways
- Proverbs 3:32 Lit. an abomination
- Proverbs 3:32 Lit. but his secret counsel is with the upright
Proverbs 3:31-32
Lexham English Bible
31 Do not envy a man of violence,
and do not choose any of his ways,
32 for he who is perverse is an abomination of Yahweh,
but those who are upright are his confidence.
Proverbs 6:12-15
International Standard Version
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:13 Lit. scraping
- Proverbs 6:13 The Heb. lacks with
- Proverbs 6:14 Or heart
Proverbs 6:12-15
Lexham English Bible
Against Worthlessness
12 A worthless man, an evil man,
goes around with deceitful speech.[a]
13 Winking in his eye, shuffling in his foot,
pointing in his fingers,
14 perversion in his heart, he devises evil;
at all times he will send out discord.[b]
15 Upon such a man,[c] suddenly shall his calamity come;
in a moment he will be damaged and there is no healing.[d]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 6:12 Literally “crookedness of mouth”
- Proverbs 6:14 Or “quarrels”
- Proverbs 6:15 Literally “thus”
- Proverbs 6:15 Or “repair”
Proverbs 10:6
International Standard Version
The Righteous and Wicked Compared
6 Blessings come[a] upon the head of the righteous,
but the words[b] of the wicked conceal violence.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:6 The Heb. lacks come
- Proverbs 10:6 Lit. mouth
Proverbs 10:6
Lexham English Bible
6 Blessings belong to the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Proverbs 10:11-13
International Standard Version
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:11 Lit. The mouth of the righteous
- Proverbs 10:11 Lit. a fountain of life
- Proverbs 10:11 Lit. but the mouth of the wicked
- Proverbs 10:13 Lit. Wisdom is found on the lips
Proverbs 10:11-13
Lexham English Bible
11 A fountain of life is a mouth of righteousness,
and a mouth of wickedness conceals violence.
12 Hatred stirs up strife,
but love covers over all offenses.
13 On the lips of one who has understanding, wisdom is found,
but a rod is for the back of one who lacks sense.[a]
Footnotes
- Proverbs 10:13 Literally “heart”
Proverbs 10:18
International Standard Version
18 Whoever conceals hatred is a deceitful liar,
and whoever spreads slander is a fool.
Proverbs 10:18
Lexham English Bible
18 He who conceals hatred has lips of deceit,
and he who utters slander—he is a fool.
Proverbs 11:13
International Standard Version
13 Whoever spreads gossip betrays secrets,
but the trustworthy person[a] keeps a confidence.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 11:13 Lit. trustworthy in spirit
Proverbs 11:13
Lexham English Bible
13 A gossip walks about telling a secret,
but the trustworthy in spirit keeps the matter.
Proverbs 12:15-18
International Standard Version
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:17 The Heb. lacks speaks what is
Proverbs 12:15-18
Lexham English Bible
15 The way of a fool is upright in his own eyes,
but he who listens to advice is wise.
16 As for a fool, on that very day[a] he makes his anger known,
but he who ignores an insult is prudent.
17 He who will speak truth will reveal righteousness,
but the witness of falsehood, deceit.
18 There is one who speaks rashly, like the thrust of a sword,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 12:16 Literally “on the day”
Proverbs 13:16
International Standard Version
16 Every sensible person acts from knowledge,
but a fool demonstrates folly.
Proverbs 13:16
Lexham English Bible
16 Anyone who is clever will act with intelligence,
but the fool will display folly.
Proverbs 16:27-30
International Standard Version
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.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 16:27 The Heb. lacks gossip
- Proverbs 16:30 Lit. with his eyes
- Proverbs 16:30 So MT; LXX Syr Targ Vg read winks with his eyes considers
Proverbs 16:27-30
Lexham English Bible
27 A man of wickedness concocts evil,
and his lips are like a scorching fire.
28 A person of perversity will spread dissent,
and he who whispers separates a close friend.
29 A person of violence will entice his neighbor
and cause him to walk on a way that is not good.
30 He who winks his eyes does so in order to plan perverse things;
he who purses his lips will bring evil to pass.
Proverbs 17:4
International Standard Version
4 Whoever practices evil pays attention to wicked speech,
and the liar listens to malicious talk.
Proverbs 17:4
Lexham English Bible
4 He who does evil listens to lips of wickedness,
and the liar gives heed to the tongue of mischief.
Proverbs 17:9
International Standard Version
9 Anyone who overlooks[a] an offense promotes love,
but someone who gossips separates close friends.
Footnotes
- Proverbs 17:9 Lit. covers
Proverbs 17:9
Lexham English Bible
9 He who forgives an affront fosters love,
but he who waits on a matter will alienate a friend.
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