The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked, what is perverse. | The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse. |
A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. | A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends. |
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Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you. | Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you. |
The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate. | The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth. |
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. | A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but deceit in it crushes the spirit. |
Do not envy a man of violence and do not choose any of his ways, for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence. | Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways. For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, but his friendship is with the upright. |
Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life. | Do all things without complaining and arguing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without defect in the middle of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you are seen as lights in the world, holding up the word of life. |
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out. | He who walks blamelessly walks surely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. |
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” | The heart is deceitful above all things and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it? “I, Yahweh, search the mind. I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” |
The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. | The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them. |
We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. | We have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances. |