Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin. | Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! |
He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One 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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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. | 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. |
A man of many companions may be ruined, 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. |
The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall. | The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. |
Yahweh preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked upside down. | The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans 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 stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. |
Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.” | Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” |
With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
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. | 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. |