Repent and turn from all your transgressions, lest iniquity be your ruin. | Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! |
Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. | Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. |
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The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin. | The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. |
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. | There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. |
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. | But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. |
The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. | The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked. |
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” | Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” |
The way of the Lord is a stronghold to the blameless, but destruction to evildoers. | The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. |
With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. | Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins. |