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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12 Worthless people and guilty people
    go around with crooked talk.
13 They wink their eyes, gesture with their feet,
    and point with their fingers.
14 Their hearts are corrupt and determined to do evil;
    they create controversies all the time.
15 Therefore, sudden disaster will come upon them;
    they will be quickly broken beyond healing.

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10 Whoever winks maliciously(A) causes grief,
    and a chattering fool comes to ruin.

11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,(B)
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.(C)

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10 Those who wink an eye bring trouble;
    those who speak foolishly are ruined.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
    but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.

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The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.(A)

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Integrity guides the virtuous,
    but dishonesty ruins the treacherous.

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

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30 Those who wink their eye plot destruction;
    those who purse their lips plan evil.

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14 “It’s no good, it’s no good!” says the buyer—
    then goes off and boasts about the purchase.

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14 The buyer says, “Bad, bad,”
    but then goes away and brags.

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Saying 9

Do not eat the food of a begrudging host,
    do not crave his delicacies;(A)
for he is the kind of person
    who is always thinking about the cost.[a]
“Eat and drink,” he says to you,
    but his heart is not with you.
You will vomit up the little you have eaten
    and will have wasted your compliments.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:7 Or for as he thinks within himself, / so he is; or for as he puts on a feast, / so he is

Don’t eat food with stingy people;
    don’t long for their delicacies,
    because they are like a hair in the throat.[a]
They say to you, “Eat and drink!”
    but they don’t mean it.
You will eat scraps and vomit them out.
    You will waste your pleasant words.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 23:7 LXX; Heb uncertain

23 Like a coating of silver dross on earthenware
    are fervent[a] lips with an evil heart.
24 Enemies disguise themselves with their lips,(A)
    but in their hearts they harbor deceit.(B)
25 Though their speech is charming,(C) do not believe them,
    for seven abominations fill their hearts.(D)
26 Their malice may be concealed by deception,
    but their wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 Hebrew; Septuagint smooth

23 Smooth[a] lips and an evil heart
    are like silver coating on clay.
24 Hateful people mislead with their lips,
    keeping their deception within.
25 Though they speak graciously, don’t believe them,
    for seven horrible things are in their heart.
26 They may cover their hatred with trickery,
    but their evil will be revealed in public.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 LXX; Heb uncertain