Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. | Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. |
He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction. | Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. |
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But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. | Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. |
The wise in heart will receive commands, But a prating fool will fall. | The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. |
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. | One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. |
The Lord watches over the strangers; He relieves the fatherless and widow; But the way of the wicked He turns upside down. | The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. |
The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, But destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. | The way of the Lord is a refuge for the blameless, but it is the ruin of those who do evil. |
Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.” | Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” |
The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered. | With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. |
Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. | Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me. |