11 Discretion will protect you,
    and understanding will guard you.(A)

12 Wisdom will save(B) you from the ways of wicked men,
    from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
    to walk in dark ways,(C)
14 who delight in doing wrong
    and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,(D)
15 whose paths are crooked(E)
    and who are devious in their ways.(F)

16 Wisdom will save you also from the adulterous woman,(G)
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words,
17 who has left the partner of her youth
    and ignored the covenant she made before God.[a](H)
18 Surely her house leads down to death
    and her paths to the spirits of the dead.(I)
19 None who go to her return
    or attain the paths of life.(J)

20 Thus you will walk in the ways of the good
    and keep to the paths of the righteous.
21 For the upright will live in the land,(K)
    and the blameless will remain in it;
22 but the wicked(L) will be cut off from the land,(M)
    and the unfaithful will be torn from it.(N)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:17 Or covenant of her God

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 2:12 Or “evildoer”
  2. Proverbs 2:15 Literally “that in their ways are crooked”
  3. Proverbs 2:16 Or “makes smooth”
  4. Proverbs 2:18 Or “Rephaim”
  5. Proverbs 2:21 Or “earth”
  6. Proverbs 2:21 Or “innocent”

31 Do not envy(A) the violent
    or choose any of their ways.

32 For the Lord detests the perverse(B)
    but takes the upright into his confidence.(C)

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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.

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12 A troublemaker and a villain,
    who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13     who winks maliciously with his eye,(A)
    signals with his feet
    and motions with his fingers,(B)
14     who plots evil(C) with deceit in his heart—
    he always stirs up conflict.(D)
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;(E)
    he will suddenly(F) be destroyed—without remedy.(G)

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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]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 6:12 Literally “crookedness of mouth”
  2. Proverbs 6:14 Or “quarrels”
  3. Proverbs 6:15 Literally “thus”
  4. Proverbs 6:15 Or “repair”

Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
    but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.[a](A)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:6 Or righteous, / but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence

Blessings belong to the head of the righteous,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

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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 conflict,
    but love covers over all wrongs.(C)

13 Wisdom is found on the lips of the discerning,(D)
    but a rod is for the back of one who has no sense.(E)

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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]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 10:13 Literally “heart”

18 Whoever conceals hatred with lying lips(A)
    and spreads slander is a fool.

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18 He who conceals hatred has lips of deceit,
    and he who utters slander—he is a fool.

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13 A gossip betrays a confidence,(A)
    but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.(B)

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13 A gossip walks about telling a secret,
    but the trustworthy in spirit keeps the matter.

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15 The way of fools seems right to them,(A)
    but the wise listen to advice.(B)

16 Fools(C) show their annoyance at once,(D)
    but the prudent overlook an insult.(E)

17 An honest witness tells the truth,
    but a false witness tells lies.(F)

18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords,(G)
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.(H)

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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.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:16 Literally “on the day”

16 All who are prudent act with[a] knowledge,
    but fools expose(A) their folly.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 13:16 Or prudent protect themselves through

16 Anyone who is clever will act with intelligence,
    but the fool will display folly.

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27 A scoundrel(A) plots evil,
    and on their lips it is like a scorching fire.(B)

28 A perverse person stirs up conflict,(C)
    and a gossip separates close friends.(D)

29 A violent person entices their neighbor
    and leads them down a path that is not good.(E)

30 Whoever winks(F) with their eye is plotting perversity;
    whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.

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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.

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A wicked person listens to deceitful lips;
    a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

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He who does evil listens to lips of wickedness,
    and the liar gives heed to the tongue of mischief.

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Whoever would foster love covers over an offense,(A)
    but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.(B)

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He who forgives an affront fosters love,
    but he who waits on a matter will alienate a friend.

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