³ Do not allow mercy and truth to leave you.
Fasten them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart.

¹³ A gossip goes around betraying secrets,
but a trustworthy spirit keeps a matter confidential.

²² Don’t those who plan evil go astray?
But those who plan to do good find mercy and truth.

⁶ Through mercy and truth, guilt is atoned for,
and through the fear of the Lord, one turns away from evil.

¹⁷ A friend loves at all times,
and a brother is born for a time of trouble.

²² A desirable trait in a person is loyalty.^[a]
It is better to be poor than a liar.

⁶ Many people claim to be loyal,^[a]
but who can find a trustworthy man?

²⁸ Mercy and truth protect a king,
and he maintains his throne with mercy.

¹³ To those who send him, a trustworthy messenger
    is like cooling snow on a warm day during harvest.
He refreshes his masters’ spirits.