| The tongue of the righteous is choice silver, but the heart of the wicked is of little value. | The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver. The heart of the wicked is of little worth. |
| The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts. | The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts. |
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| I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over. | I ate no pleasant food. No meat or wine came into my mouth. I didn’t anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled. |
| Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” | Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.” |
| He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created. | Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. |
