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

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By what he says, the godless person can destroy his neighbor,
    but through knowledge the righteous escape.

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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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The words of the wicked lead to[a] bloodshed,
    but the speech of the upright delivers them.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 12:6 Lit. wicked lie in wait for

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

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 16:27 The Heb. lacks gossip

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

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Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their maker,
    and whoever is happy about disaster
        will not go unpunished.

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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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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

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 fool’s words[a] bring strife,
    and his mouth invites fighting.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:6 Lit. lips

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

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels
    as they descend to the innermost parts of the body.

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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

The Priorities of Life Contrasted

19 A poor man who walks blamelessly is better
than a fool who speaks perversely.

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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

19 Whoever spreads gossip betrays confidences;
    so don’t get involved with someone who talks too much.

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

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10 Throw out the mocker and strife departs, too;[a]
    furthermore, quarrels[b] and discord will end.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 22:10 The Heb. lacks too
  2. Proverbs 22:10 Or litigation

[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

Instead, take up the matter with your neighbor,
    and don’t betray another person’s confidence.
10 Otherwise, anyone who hears will make you ashamed,
    and your bad reputation will never leave you.

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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

23 The north wind brings rain,
    and a backbiting tongue an angry look.

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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

On Gossip and Backbiting

20 Without wood, the fire goes out.
    Without a gossip, contention stops.
21 Charcoal is to hot coals
    as wood is to fire;
        so also a quarrelsome man fuels strife.
22 The words of a gossip are like delicate morsels;
    they sink down deep within.
23 A clay vessel plated with a thin veneer of silver—
    that’s what smooth[a] lips with a wicked heart are.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:23 So LXX; MT reads burning