Return, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity will not be your ruin. | Repent and turn from all your transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin. |
He who guards his mouth guards his soul. One who opens wide his lips comes to ruin. | Those who guard their mouths preserve their lives; those who open wide their lips 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. | But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless 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. | Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one's nearest kin. |
The wise in heart accept commandments, but a chattering fool will fall. | The wise of heart will heed commandments, but a babbling fool will come 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 strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. |
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 for the upright, but destruction for evildoers. |
Don’t be deceived! “Evil companionships corrupt good morals.” | Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” |
With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but the righteous will be delivered through knowledge. | With their mouths the godless would destroy their neighbors, but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. |
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 woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these 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. |