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Righteousness and Wickedness

Proverbs 1:
10 My son, if sinners entice you,
do not give in to them.
11 If they say, 'Come along with us;
let's lie in wait for someone's blood,
let's waylay some harmless soul;
12 let's swallow them alive, like the grave,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
13 we will get all sorts of valuable things
and fill our houses with plunder;
14 throw in your lot with us,
and we will share a common purse' —
15 my son, do not go along with them,
do not set foot on their paths;
16 for their feet rush into sin,
they are swift to shed blood.
17 How useless to spread a net
in full view of the birds!
18 These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they waylay only themselves!
19 Such is the end of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the lives of those who get it."

Proverbs 3:
29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor,
who lives trustfully near you.
30 Do not accuse a man for no reason —
when he has done you no harm.
31 Do not envy a violent man
or choose any of his ways,
32 for the Lord detests a perverse man
but takes the upright into his confidence.
33 The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked,
but he blesses the home of the righteous.
34 He mocks proud mockers
but gives grace to the humble.
35 The wise inherit honor,
but fools he holds up to shame.

Proverbs 4:
14 Do not set foot on the path of the wicked
or walk in the way of evil men.
15 Avoid it, do not travel on it;
turn from it and go on your way.
16 For they cannot sleep till they do evil;
they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wind of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.

Proverbs 6:
12 A scoundrel and villain,
who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 who winks with his eye, signals with his feet
and motions with his fingers,
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart —
he always stirs up dissension.
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant;
he will suddenly be destroyed — without remedy.

Proverbs 10:
2 Ill-gotten treasures are of no value,
but righteousness delivers from death.
3 The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry
but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.

6 Blessings crown the head of the righteous,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.
7 The memory of the righteous will be a blessing,
but the name of the wicked will rot.

9 The man of integrity walks securely,
but he who takes crooked paths will be found out.
10 He who winks maliciously causes grief,
and a chattering fool comes to ruin.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.

16 The wages of the righteous bring them life,
but the income of the wicked brings them punishment.

23 A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct,
but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.
24 What the wicked dreads will overtake him;
what the righteous desire will be granted.
25 When the storm has swept by,
the wicked are gone,
but the righteous stand firm forever.

28 The prospect of the righteous is joy,
but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing.
29 The way of the Lord is a refuge for the righteous,
but it is the ruin of those who do evil.
30 The righteous will never be uprooted,
but the wicked will not remain in the land.

Proverbs 11:
1 The LORD abhors dishonest scales,
but accurate weights are his delight.

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

5 The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them,
but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
7 When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes;
all he expected from his power comes to nothing.
8 The righteous man is rescued from trouble,
and it comes on the wicked instead.

10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

18 The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
be he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward
19 The truly righteous man attains life,
but he who pursues evil goes to his death.
20 The LORD detests men of perverse heart
but he delights in those whose ways are blameless
21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished,
but those who are righteous will go free.

23 The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
but the hope of the wicked only in wrath.

30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and he who wins souls is wise.
31 If the righteous receive their due on earth,
how much more the ungodly and the sinner!

Proverbs 12:
2 A good man obtains favor from the LORD,
but the LORD condemns a crafty man.
3 A man cannot be established through wickedness,
but the righteous cannot be uprooted.

5 The plans of the righteous are just,
but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

7 Wicked men are overthrown and are no more,
but the house of the righteous stands firm.

10 A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal,
but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

Proverbs 13:
5 The righteous hate what is false,
but the wicked bring shame and disgrace.
6 Righteousness guards the man of integrity,
but wickedness overthrows the sinner.

9 The light of the righteous shines brightly,
but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

Proverbs 14:
5 A truthful witness does not deceive,
but a false witness pours out lies.

11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,
but the tent of the upright will flourish.

19 Evil men will bow down in the presence of the good,
and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

25 A truthful witness saves lives,
but a false witness is deceitful.

32 When calamity comes,
the wicked are brought down,
but even in death the righteous have a refuge.

34 Righteousness exalts a nation,
but sin is a disgrace to any people.

Proverbs 15:
8 The Lord detests the sacrifice of the wicked,
but the prayer of the upright pleases him.
9 The Lord detests the way of the wicked,
but he loves those who pursue righteousness.

26 The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked,
but those of the pure are pleasing to him.
27 A greedy man brings trouble to his family,
but he who hates bribes will live.

29 The Lord is far from the wicked
but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

Proverbs 16:
2 All a man's ways seem innocent to him,
but motives are weighed by the LORD.

11 Honest scales and balances are from the LORD;
all the weights in the bag are of his making.

30 He who winks with his eye is plotting perversity;
he who purses his lips is bent on evil.

Proverbs 17:
4 A wicked man listens to evil lips;
a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

11 An evil man is bent only on rebellion;
a merciless official will be sent against him.

13 If a man pays back evil for good,
evil will never leave his house.

Proverbs 18:
3 When wickedness comes, so does contempt,
and with shame comes disgrace.

Proverbs 19:
5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who pours out lies will not go free.

9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who pours out lies will perish.

Proverbs 20:
7 The righteous man leads a blameless life;
blessed are his children after him.

9 Who can say, "I have kept my heart pure;
I am clean and without sin?"

11 Even a child is known by his actions
by whether his conduct is pure and right.

17 Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man,
but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.

20 If a man curses his father or mother,
his lamp will be snuffed out in pitch darkness.

30 Blows and wounds cleanse away evil,
and beatings purge the inmost being.

Proverbs 21:
2 All a man's ways seem right to him,
but the Lord weighs the heart.
3 To do what is right and just
is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart,
the lamp of the wicked, are sin!

7 The violence of the wicked will drag them away,
for they refuse to do what is right.
8 The way of the guilty is devious,
but the conduct of the innocent is upright.

10 The wicked man craves evil;
his neighbor gets no mercy from him.

16 A man who strays from the path of understanding
comes to rest in the company of the dead.

18 The wicked become a ransom for the righteous,
and the unfaithful for the upright.

20 In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil,
but a foolish man devours all he has.
21 He who pursues righteousness and love
finds life, prosperity and honor.

25 The sluggard's craving will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.
27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable —
how much more so when brought with evil intent!
28 A false witness will perish,
and everyone who listens to him will be destroyed forever.
29 A wicked man puts up a bold front,
but an upright man gives thought to his ways.

Proverbs 22:
5 In the paths of the wicked lie thorns and snares,
but he who guards his soul stays far from them.

8 He who sows wickedness reaps trouble,
and the rod of his fury will be destroyed.

Proverbs 24:
1 Do not envy wicked men,
do not desire their company;

2 for their hearts plot violence,
and their lips talk about making trouble.

8 He who plots evil will be known as a schemer.
9 The schemes of folly are sin,
and men detest a mocker.

15 Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against a righteous man's house,
do not raid his dwelling place;
16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again,
but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
17 Do not gloat when your enemy falls;
when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice,
18 or the Lord will see and disapprove
and turn his wrath away from him.
19 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of the wicked,
20 for the evil man has no future hope,
and the lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out.

26 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips.

Proverbs 25:
18 Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow
is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.
19 Like a bad tooth or a lame foot
is reliance on the unfaithful in times of trouble.

23 As a north wind brings rain,
so a sly tongue brings angry looks.

26 Like a muddied spring or a polluted well
is a righteous man who give way to the wicked.

Proverbs 26:
18 Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows
is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, "I was only joking!"

Proverbs 27:
19 As water reflects a face,
so a man's heart reflects the man.

Proverbs 28:
1 The wicked man flees though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

4 Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law resist them.

10 He who leads the upright along an evil path
will fall into his own trap,
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.

17 A man tormented by the guilt of murder
will be a fugitive till death;
let no one support him.
18 He whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.

24 He who robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong" —
he is partner to him who destroys.

26 He who trusts in himself is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

Proverbs 29:
1 A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes
will suddenly be destroyed — without remedy.

3 A man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father,
but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.

6 An evil man is snared by his own sin,
but a righteous one can sing and be glad

10 Bloodthirsty men hate a man of integrity
and seek to kill the upright.

15 The rod of correction imparts wisdom,
but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
16 When the wicked thrive, so does sin,
but the righteous will see their downfall.

24 the accomplice of a thief is his own enemy;
he is put under oath and dare not testify.

27 The righteous detest the dishonest;
the wicked detest the upright.

Proverbs 30:
11 "There are those who curse their fathers
and do not bless their mothers;
12 those who are pure in their own eyes
and yet are not cleansed of their filth;
13 those whose eyes are ever so haughty,
whose glances are so disdainful;
14 those whose teeth are swords
and whose jaws are set with knives
to devour the poor from the earth,
the needy from among mankind."

32 "If you have played the fool and exalted yourself,
or if you have planned evil,
clap your hand over your mouth!
33 For as churning the milk produces butter,
and as twisting the nose produces blood,
so stirring up anger produces strife."

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