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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

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 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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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 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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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 the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(A)

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

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

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

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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

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

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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