With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
    but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.

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With his (A)mouth the godless person destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the (B)righteous will be rescued.

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The words of the wicked (A)lie in wait for blood,
    but (B)the mouth of the upright delivers them.

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The (A)words of the wicked wait in ambush for blood,
But the (B)mouth of the upright will rescue them.

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27 (A)A worthless man plots evil,
    and his speech[a] is like (B)a scorching fire.
28 (C)A dishonest man spreads strife,
    and (D)a whisperer (E)separates close friends.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:27 Hebrew what is on his lips

27 A (A)worthless person digs up evil,
While [a]his words are like (B)scorching fire.
28 A perverse person spreads strife,
And a [b]slanderer separates close friends.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:27 Lit on his lips
  2. Proverbs 16:28 Or gossip

Whoever mocks the poor (A)insults his Maker;
    he who is (B)glad at calamity will not go (C)unpunished.

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One who mocks the (A)poor taunts his Maker;
One who (B)rejoices at disaster will not go unpunished.

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Whoever (A)covers an offense seeks love,
    but he who repeats a matter (B)separates close friends.

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One who (A)conceals an offense seeks love,
But one who repeats a matter (B)separates close friends.

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A fool's lips walk into a fight,
    and his mouth invites (A)a beating.

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A fool’s lips [a]bring strife,
And his mouth invites (A)beatings.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:6 Lit come with

(A)The words of a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into (B)the inner parts of the body.

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The words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [a]innermost parts of the body.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:8 Lit chambers of the belly

19 (A)Better is a poor person who (B)walks in his integrity
    than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.

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On Life and Conduct

19 (A)Better is a poor person who (B)walks in his integrity
Than a person who is perverse in [a]speech and is a fool.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:1 Lit his lips

19 Whoever (A)goes about slandering reveals secrets;
    therefore do not associate with (B)a simple babbler.[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:19 Hebrew with one who is simple in his lips

19 One who (A)goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets;
Therefore do not associate with [a](B)a gossip.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:19 Lit one who opens his lips

10 (A)Drive out a scoffer, (B)and strife will go out,
    and (C)quarreling and abuse will cease.

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10 (A)Drive out the scoffer, and strife will leave,
Even quarreling and dishonor will cease.

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(A)Argue your case with your neighbor himself,
    and do not reveal another's secret,
10 lest he who hears you bring shame upon you,
    and your ill repute have no end.

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[a](A)Argue your case with your neighbor,
And (B)do not reveal the secret of another,
10 Or one who hears it will put you to shame,
And the evil report about you will not [b]pass away.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:9 Lit Contend
  2. Proverbs 25:10 Lit return

23 The north wind brings forth rain,
    and a backbiting tongue, angry looks.

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23 The north wind brings rain,
And a [a](A)gossiping tongue brings an angry face.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 25:23 Lit tongue of secrecy

20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no (A)whisperer, (B)quarreling ceases.
21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is (C)a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22 (D)The words of (E)a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23 (F)Like the (G)glaze[a] covering an earthen vessel
    are fervent lips with an evil heart.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross

20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
And where there is no (A)gossiper, (B)quarreling quiets down.
21 Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
So is a (C)contentious person to kindle strife.
22 The (D)words of a gossiper are like dainty morsels,
And they go down into the [a]innermost parts of the body.
23 Like an earthenware (E)vessel overlaid with silver [b](F)impurities
Are burning lips and a wicked heart.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:22 Lit chambers of the belly
  2. Proverbs 26:23 Lit dross