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.
29 A person of violence (C)entices his neighbor
And leads him in a way that is not good.
30 He who winks his eyes does so to devise perverse things;
He who compresses his lips brings evil to pass.

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Footnotes

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

27 Scoundrels create trouble;
    their words are a destructive blaze.

28 A troublemaker plants seeds of strife;
    gossip separates the best of friends.

29 Violent people mislead their companions,
    leading them down a harmful path.

30 With narrowed eyes, people plot evil;
    with a smirk, they plan their mischief.

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An (A)evildoer listens to wicked lips;
A [a]liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:4 Lit falsehood

Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;
    liars pay close attention to slander.

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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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Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
    but dwelling on it separates close friends.

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19 One who (A)loves wrongdoing loves strife;
One who (B)makes his doorway high seeks destruction.
20 One who has a crooked [a]mind (C)finds nothing good,
And one who is [b](D)corrupted in his language falls into evil.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:20 Lit heart
  2. Proverbs 17:20 Lit altered in his tongue

19 Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin;
    anyone who trusts in high walls invites disaster.

20 The crooked heart will not prosper;
    the lying tongue tumbles into trouble.

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24 Wisdom is in the presence of one who has understanding,
But the (A)eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

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24 Sensible people keep their eyes glued on wisdom,
    but a fool’s eyes wander to the ends of the earth.

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Contrast of the Upright and the Wicked

18 One who separates himself seeks his own desire;
He [a](A)quarrels against all sound wisdom.
A fool does not delight in understanding,
But (B)in revealing his own [b]mind.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 18:1 Lit breaks out
  2. Proverbs 18:2 Lit heart

18 Unfriendly people care only about themselves;
    they lash out at common sense.

Fools have no interest in understanding;
    they only want to air their own opinions.

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23 A (A)poor person utters pleadings,
But a (B)rich person (C)answers defiantly.

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23 The poor plead for mercy;
    the rich answer with insults.

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(A)Wealth adds many friends,
But a poor person is separated from his friend.

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Wealth makes many “friends”;
    poverty drives them all away.

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(A)Many will seek the favor of a [a]generous person,
And every person is a friend to (B)him who gives gifts.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 19:6 Or noble

Many seek favors from a ruler;
    everyone is the friend of a person who gives gifts!

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Many a person (A)proclaims his own loyalty,
But who can find a (B)trustworthy person?

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Many will say they are loyal friends,
    but who can find one who is truly reliable?

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(A)A king who sits on the throne of justice
[a]Disperses all evil with his eyes.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 20:8 Or Sifts

When a king sits in judgment, he weighs all the evidence,
    distinguishing the bad from the good.

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14 “Bad, bad,” says the buyer,
But when he goes his way, then he boasts.

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14 The buyer haggles over the price, saying, “It’s worthless,”
    then brags about getting a bargain!

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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 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
    so don’t hang around with chatterers.

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