Proverbs 2:11-22
New Living Translation
11 Wise choices will watch over you.
Understanding will keep you safe.
12 Wisdom will save you from evil people,
from those whose words are twisted.
13 These men turn from the right way
to walk down dark paths.
14 They take pleasure in doing wrong,
and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
15 Their actions are crooked,
and their ways are wrong.
16 Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman,
from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.
17 She has abandoned her husband
and ignores the covenant she made before God.
18 Entering her house leads to death;
it is the road to the grave.[a]
19 The man who visits her is doomed.
He will never reach the paths of life.
20 So follow the steps of the good,
and stay on the paths of the righteous.
21 For only the godly will live in the land,
and those with integrity will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be removed from the land,
and the treacherous will be uprooted.
Footnotes
- 2:18 Hebrew to the spirits of the dead.
Proverbs 2:11-22
Common English Bible
11 Discretion will guard you;
understanding will protect you.
12 Wisdom will rescue you from the evil path,
from people who twist their words.
13 They forsake the way of integrity
and go on obscure paths.
14 They enjoy doing evil,
rejoicing in their twisted evil.
15 Their paths are confused;
they get lost on their way.
16 Wisdom will rescue you from the mysterious woman,
from the foreign woman with her slick words.
17 She leaves behind the partner of her youth;
she even forgets her covenant with God.
18 Her house sinks down to death,
and her paths go down to the shadowy dead.
19 All those who go to her will never return;
they will never again reach the ways of the living.
20 So you should stay on the path of good people,
guarding the road of the righteous.
21 Those who have integrity will dwell in the land;
the innocent will remain in it.
22 But the wicked will be cut off from the land,
and the treacherous will be ripped up.
Proverbs 3:31-32
New Living Translation
31 Don’t envy violent people
or copy their ways.
32 Such wicked people are detestable to the Lord,
but he offers his friendship to the godly.
Proverbs 3:31-32
Common English Bible
31 Don’t envy violent people
or choose any of their ways.
32 Devious people are detestable to the Lord,
but the virtuous are his close friends.
Proverbs 6:12-15
New Living Translation
12 What are worthless and wicked people like?
They are constant liars,
13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
14 Their perverted hearts plot evil,
and they constantly stir up trouble.
15 But they will be destroyed suddenly,
broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.
Proverbs 6:12-15
Common English Bible
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.
Proverbs 10:6
New Living Translation
6 The godly are showered with blessings;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
Proverbs 10:6
Common English Bible
6 Blessings cover the head of the righteous,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
Proverbs 10:11-13
New Living Translation
11 The words of the godly are a life-giving fountain;
the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions.
12 Hatred stirs up quarrels,
but love makes up for all offenses.
13 Wise words come from the lips of people with understanding,
but those lacking sense will be beaten with a rod.
Proverbs 10:11-13
Common English Bible
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence.
12 Hate stirs up conflict,
but love covers all offenses.
13 Wisdom is found on the lips of those who have understanding,
but there is a rod for the back of those with no sense.
Proverbs 10:18
New Living Translation
18 Hiding hatred makes you a liar;
slandering others makes you a fool.
Proverbs 10:18
Common English Bible
18 Lying lips conceal hate,
and those who spread slander are fools.
Proverbs 11:13
New Living Translation
13 A gossip goes around telling secrets,
but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence.
Proverbs 11:13
Common English Bible
13 A slanderer walks around revealing secrets,
but a trustworthy person keeps a confidence.
Proverbs 12:15-18
New Living Translation
15 Fools think their own way is right,
but the wise listen to others.
16 A fool is quick-tempered,
but a wise person stays calm when insulted.
17 An honest witness tells the truth;
a false witness tells lies.
18 Some people make cutting remarks,
but the words of the wise bring healing.
Proverbs 12:15-18
Common English Bible
15 Fools see their own way as right,
but the wise listen to advice.
16 Fools reveal their anger right away,
but the shrewd hide their contempt.
17 Those who state the truth speak justly,
but a false witness deceives.
18 Some chatter on like a stabbing sword,
but a wise tongue heals.
Proverbs 13:16
New Living Translation
16 Wise people think before they act;
fools don’t—and even brag about their foolishness.
Proverbs 13:16
Common English Bible
16 The prudent all act intelligently,
but fools display their stupidity.
Proverbs 16:27-30
New Living Translation
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.
Proverbs 16:27-30
Common English Bible
27 Worthless people dig up trouble;
their lips are like a scorching fire.
28 Destructive people produce conflict;
gossips alienate close friends.
29 Violent people entice their neighbors
and walk them down a path that isn’t good.
30 Those who wink their eye plot destruction;
those who purse their lips plan evil.
Proverbs 17:4
New Living Translation
4 Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip;
liars pay close attention to slander.
Proverbs 17:4
Common English Bible
4 An evildoer pays attention to guilty lips;
a liar listens to a destructive tongue.
Proverbs 17:9
New Living Translation
9 Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
but dwelling on it separates close friends.
Proverbs 17:9
Common English Bible
9 One who seeks love conceals an offense,
but one who repeats it divides friends.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible