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Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Complete Jewish Bible

Proverbs 16:13

The king should delight in righteous lips, and he should love someone who speaks what is right.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Truth;   The Topic Concordance - Government;   Speech/communication;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Kings;  

Dictionaries:

- Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Honesty;   Lips;   Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Lip;   Righteousness;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Lip;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Love;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Righteous lips are a king’s delight,and he loves one who speaks honestly.
Hebrew Names Version
Righteous lips are the delight of kings. They value one who speaks the truth.
King James Version
Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
English Standard Version
Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.
New American Standard Bible
Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And one who speaks right is loved.
New Century Version
Kings like honest people; they value someone who speaks the truth.
Amplified Bible
Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved.
World English Bible
Righteous lips are the delight of kings. They value one who speaks the truth.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Righteous lips are the delite of Kings, and the King loueth him that speaketh right things.
Legacy Standard Bible
Righteous lips are the delight of kings,And he who speaks uprightly is loved.
Berean Standard Bible
Righteous lips are a king's delight, and he who speaks honestly is beloved.
Contemporary English Version
and like honesty and truth.
Darby Translation
Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and they love him that speaketh aright.
Easy-to-Read Version
Kings want to hear the truth. They like those who are honest.
George Lamsa Translation
The lips of a righteous man are the delight of a king; and he loves the word of the upright.
Good News Translation
A king wants to hear the truth and will favor those who speak it.
Lexham English Bible
The delight of kings are the lips of righteousness, and he who speaks what is upright he will love.
Literal Translation
Righteous lips are the king's delight, and he speaking uprightly is loved.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Righteous lippes are pleasaut vnto kynges, and they loue him yt speaketh ye trueth.
American Standard Version
Righteous lips are the delight of kings; And they love him that speaketh right.
Bible in Basic English
Lips of righteousness are the delight of kings; and he who says what is upright is dear to him.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Righteous lips are the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
King James Version (1611)
Righteous lips are the delight of kings: and they loue him that speaketh right.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Ryghteous lippes are pleasaunt vnto kynges, and them that speaketh the trueth shall he loue.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Righteous lips are acceptable to a king; and he loves right words.
English Revised Version
Righteous lips are the delight or kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The wille of kyngis is iust lippis; he that spekith riytful thingis, schal be dressid.
Update Bible Version
Righteous lips are the delight of kings; And they love him that speaks right.
Webster's Bible Translation
Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings; and they love him that speaketh right.
New English Translation
The delight of kings is righteous counsel, and they love the one who speaks uprightly.
New King James Version
Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And they love him who speaks what is right.
New Living Translation
The king is pleased with words from righteous lips; he loves those who speak honestly.
New Life Bible
Lips that speak what is right and good are the joy of kings, and he who speaks the truth is loved.
New Revised Standard
Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves those who speak what is right.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The delight of kings, are lips of righteousness, - and, the words of uprightness, he loveth.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Just lips are the delight of kings: he that speaketh right things shall be loved.
Revised Standard Version
Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.
Young's Literal Translation
The delight of kings [are] righteous lips, And whoso is speaking uprightly he loveth,
THE MESSAGE
Good leaders cultivate honest speech; they love advisors who tell them the truth.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Righteous lips are the delight of kings, And he who speaks right is loved.

Contextual Overview

13 The king should delight in righteous lips, and he should love someone who speaks what is right.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 14:35, Proverbs 22:11, Psalms 101:5-7

Reciprocal: Proverbs 10:20 - tongue Proverbs 15:23 - joy Proverbs 16:10 - A divine sentence 1 Thessalonians 2:19 - crown

Cross-References

Genesis 16:1
Now Sarai Avram's wife had not borne him a child. But she had an Egyptian slave-girl named Hagar;
Genesis 16:5
Sarai said to Avram, "This outrage being done to me is your fault! True, I gave my slave-girl to you to sleep with; but when she saw that she was pregnant, she began holding me in contempt. May Adonai decide who is right — I or you!"
Genesis 16:7
The angel of Adonai found her by a spring in the desert, the spring on the road to Shur,
Genesis 16:9
The angel of Adonai said to her, "Go back to your mistress, and submit to her authority."
Genesis 16:10
The angel of Adonai said to her, "I will greatly increase your descendants; there will be so many that it will be impossible to count them."
Genesis 16:12
He will be a wild donkey of a man, with his hand against everyone and everyone's hand against him, living his life at odds with all his kinsmen."
Genesis 22:14
Avraham called the place Adonai Yir'eh [ Adonai will see (to it), Adonai provides] — as it is said to this day, "On the mountain Adonai is seen."
Genesis 28:17
Then he became afraid and said, "This place is fearsome! This has to be the house of God! This is the gate of heaven!"
Genesis 31:42
If the God of my father, the God of Avraham, the one whom Yitz'chak fears, had not been on my side, by now you would certainly have already sent me away with nothing! God has seen how distressed I've been and how hard I've worked, and last night he passed judgment in my favor."
Judges 6:24
Then Gid‘on built an altar there to Adonai and called it " Adonai- Shalom"; to this day it remains in ‘Ofrah of the Avi‘ezri.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Righteous lips [are] the delight of kings,.... Such that speak truth and righteousness, and advise to the administration of justice and judgment, and to do that which is most for their own true honour and the people's good, are, or ought to be, highly valued and esteemed by kings: but the contrary is too often the case; kings hearken to those that speak lies, that flatter them, and gratify their pride, ambition, and love of power, to the hurt of their subjects;

and they love him that speaketh right: agreeably to right reason; which makes for the honour of kings, and the good of those over whom they rule. Christ loves and delights in those that deliver out his doctrines in the taught words of the Holy Ghost, without any mixture or corruption; that explain, inculcate, and enforce his laws and commands; and faithfully declare the whole counsel of God, both with respect to faith and practice; all which is for his glory, as King of saints, and to the profit and advantage of those who submit to the sceptre of his kingdom.


 
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