| Rid yourself of a deceitful mouth And keep devious speech far from you. | Avoid all perverse talk; stay away from corrupt speech. |
| Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. | Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. |
| Watch the path of your feet, And all your ways will be established. | Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path. |
| Do not turn to the right or to the left; Turn your foot from evil. | Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. |
| My son, comply with the commandment of your father, And do not ignore the teaching of your mother. | My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. |
| Or can a person walk on hot coals And his feet not be scorched? | Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? |
| The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride, arrogance, the evil way, And the perverted mouth, I hate. | All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech. |
| For one who finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the Lord. | For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. |
| The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. | Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. |
| A wise son makes a father glad, But a foolish son is a grief to his mother. | A wise child brings joy to a father; a foolish child brings grief to a mother. |
| Ill-gotten gains do not benefit, But righteousness rescues from death. | Tainted wealth has no lasting value, but right living can save your life. |
| Blessings are on the head of the righteous, But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence. | The godly are showered with blessings; the words of the wicked conceal violent intentions. |
| The mentioning of the righteous is a blessing, But the name of the wicked will rot. | We have happy memories of the godly, but the name of a wicked person rots away. |
| The wise of heart will receive commands, But a babbling fool will come to ruin. | The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. |
| One who walks in integrity walks securely, But one who perverts his ways will be found out. | People with integrity walk safely, but those who follow crooked paths will be exposed. |
| Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all offenses. | Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses. |
| One who is on the path of life follows instruction, But one who ignores a rebuke goes astray. | People who accept discipline are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore correction will go astray. |
| One who conceals hatred has lying lips, And one who spreads slander is a fool. | Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool. |
| When there are many words, wrongdoing is unavoidable, But one who restrains his lips is wise. | Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut. |
| The tongue of the righteous is like choice silver, The heart of the wicked is worth little. | The words of the godly are like sterling silver; the heart of a fool is worthless. |
| It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich, And He adds no sorrow to it. | The blessing of the Lord makes a person rich, and he adds no sorrow with it. |
| The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes. | The hopes of the godly result in happiness, but the expectations of the wicked come to nothing. |
| The way of the Lord is a stronghold for the upright, But ruin to the workers of injustice. | The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. |
| The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, But the mouth of the wicked, what is perverted. | The lips of the godly speak helpful words, but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words. |
| When pride comes, then comes dishonor; But with the humble there is wisdom. | Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. |
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