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16 There are six things the Lord hates.
    There are seven things ·he cannot stand [L that are an abomination to his soul]:
17     ·a proud look [haughty eyes],
    a lying tongue,
    hands that ·kill [L spill the blood of] innocent people,
18 a ·mind [heart] that thinks up evil plans,
    feet that are quick to ·do [L run to] evil,
19     a witness who lies,
    and someone who starts ·arguments [conflicts; fights] among·families [brothers; Ps. 133].

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16 
These six things the Lord hates;
Indeed, seven are repulsive to Him:
17 
A proud look [the attitude that makes one overestimate oneself and discount others], a lying tongue,
And hands that shed innocent blood,(A)
18 
A heart that creates wicked plans,
Feet that run swiftly to evil,
19 
A false witness who breathes out lies [even half-truths],
And one who spreads discord (rumors) among brothers.

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·Whoever forgives someone’s sin makes a friend [L One who seeks love conceals an offense],
but ·gossiping about the sin [repeating a thing] breaks up friendships.

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He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love,
But he who repeats or gossips about a matter separates intimate friends.

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14 Starting a quarrel is like ·a leak in a dam [L letting out water],
so ·stop it [hold back an accusation] before a fight breaks out.

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14 
The beginning of strife is like letting out water [as from a small break in a dam; first it trickles and then it gushes];
Therefore [a]abandon the quarrel before it breaks out and tempers explode.

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Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 17:14 The ancient rabbis derived from this statement the principle of seeking a settlement before a case comes to court (cf Matt 5:25; Luke 12:58).

19 Whoever loves to argue loves to sin.
Whoever ·brags a lot is asking for trouble [L builds a high doorway is seeking a collapse].

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19 
He who loves transgression loves strife and is quarrelsome;
He who [proudly] raises his gate seeks destruction [because of his arrogant pride].

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18 ·Unfriendly [Antisocial; Lonely] people ·are selfish [L seek their own longings/desires]
and ·hate [L break out against] all good sense.

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Contrast the Upright and the Wicked

18 He who [willfully] separates himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire,
He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

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19 A brother who has been ·insulted [offended] is harder to win back than a walled city,
and arguments separate people like the barred gates of a palace.

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19 
A brother offended is harder to win over than a fortified city,
And contentions [separating families] are like the bars of a castle.

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11 Foolish people ·lose their tempers [or let nothing go unexpressed; L let all their spirit out],
but wise people ·control theirs [quiet things down afterward].

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11 
A [shortsighted] fool always loses his temper and displays his anger,
But a wise man [uses self-control and] holds it back.

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22 An angry person ·causes trouble [stirs up conflict];
a person with ·a quick temper [wrath] sins a lot.

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22 
An angry man stirs up strife,
And a hot-tempered and undisciplined man commits many transgressions.

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32 “If you have been foolish and proud,
    or if you have planned evil, ·shut [L put your hand to] your mouth [Job 40:2].
33 Just as ·stirring [L pressing] milk makes ·butter [curds],
    and ·twisting [L pressing] noses makes ·them bleed [blood],
so ·stirring up [L pressing] anger ·causes trouble [leads to accusations].”

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32 
If you have foolishly exalted yourself,
Or if you have plotted evil, put your hand on your mouth.(A)
33 
Surely the churning of milk produces butter,
And wringing the nose produces blood;
So the churning of anger produces strife.

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