| Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. | Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! |
| He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction. | Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything. |
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| But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. | 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 wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. | The wise are glad to be instructed, but babbling fools fall flat on their faces. |
| A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. | There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. |
| The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth 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 the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. | The way of the Lord is a stronghold to those with integrity, but it destroys the wicked. |
| Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. | Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” |
| An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered. | With their words, the godless destroy their friends, but knowledge will rescue the righteous. |
| Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy 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. |
