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11 Wise choices will watch over you.
    Understanding will keep you safe.

12 Wisdom will save you from evil people,
    from those whose words are twisted.
13 These men turn from the right way
    to walk down dark paths.
14 They take pleasure in doing wrong,
    and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
15 Their actions are crooked,
    and their ways are wrong.

16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman,
    from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.
17 She has abandoned her husband
    and ignores the covenant she made before God.
18 Entering her house leads to death;
    it is the road to the grave.[a]
19 The man who visits her is doomed.
    He will never reach the paths of life.

20 So follow the steps of the good,
    and stay on the paths of the righteous.
21 For only the godly will live in the land,
    and those with integrity will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be removed from the land,
    and the treacherous will be uprooted.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:18 Hebrew to the spirits of the dead.

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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31 Don’t envy violent people
    or copy their ways.
32 Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord,
    but he offers his friendship to the godly.

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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

12 What are worthless and wicked people like?
    They are constant liars,
13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
    a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
14 Their perverted hearts plot evil,
    and they constantly stir up trouble.
15 But they will be destroyed suddenly,
    broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.

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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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The godly are showered with blessings;
    the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

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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 words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
    the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.

12 Hatred stirs up quarrels,
    but love makes up for all offenses.

13 Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding,
    but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.

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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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18 Hiding hatred makes you a liar;
    slandering others makes you a fool.

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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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13 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.

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

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15 Fools think their own way is right,
    but the wise listen to others.

16 A fool is quick-tempered,
    but a wise person stays calm when insulted.

17 An honest witness tells the truth;
    a false witness tells lies.

18 Some people make cutting remarks,
    but the words of the wise bring healing.

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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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16 Wise people think before they act;
    fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.

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

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27 Scoundrels create trouble;
    their words are a destructive blaze.

28 A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
    gossip separates the best of friends.

29 Violent people mislead their companions,
    leading them down a harmful path.

30 With narrowed eyes, people plot evil;
    with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

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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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Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;
    liars pay close attention to slander.

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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

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
    but dwelling on it separates close friends.

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

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