Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so 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 guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. | Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin. |
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But those who are determined to be rich fall into a temptation, a snare, and many foolish and harmful lusts, such as drown men in ruin and destruction. | 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. |
A man of many companions may be ruined, 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 wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall. | The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin. |
Yahweh preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked 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 Yahweh is a stronghold to the upright, but it is a destruction 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. |
Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.” | Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” |
With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge. | With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors, but through knowledge the righteous escape. |
Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, 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. | 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. |