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Wednesday, July 30th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Geneva Bible

Proverbs 17:4

The wicked giueth heed to false lippes, and a lyer hearkeneth to the naughtie tongue.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Falsehood;   Speaking;   The Topic Concordance - Lying/lies;   Wickedness;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Lying;   Titles and Names of the Wicked;  

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Lie;   Lip;   Naught;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
A wicked person listens to malicious talk;a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
Hebrew Names Version
An evil-doer gives heed to wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
King James Version
A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
English Standard Version
An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
New American Standard Bible
An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
New Century Version
Evil people listen to evil words. Liars pay attention to cruel words.
Amplified Bible
An evildoer listens closely to wicked lips; And a liar pays attention to a destructive and malicious tongue.
World English Bible
An evil-doer gives heed to wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Legacy Standard Bible
An evildoer gives heed to lips of wickedness;A liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
Berean Standard Bible
A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.
Contemporary English Version
Troublemakers listen to troublemakers, and liars listen to liars.
Complete Jewish Bible
An evildoer heeds wicked lips; a liar listens to destructive talk.
Darby Translation
The evil-doer giveth heed to iniquitous lips; the liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue.
Easy-to-Read Version
People who do evil listen to evil ideas. Liars listen to liars.
George Lamsa Translation
A wicked man listens to perverse lips; but a righteous man does not heed the tongues of vicious men.
Good News Translation
Evil people listen to evil ideas, and liars listen to lies.
Lexham English Bible
He who does evil listens to lips of wickedness, and the liar gives heed to the tongue of mischief.
Literal Translation
An evildoer gives heed to lips of iniquity; a liar listens to a tongue of evil desire.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
A wicked body holdeth moch of false lippes, & a dyssemblynge persone geueth eare to a disceatfull toge.
American Standard Version
An evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips; And a liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue.
Bible in Basic English
A wrongdoer gives attention to evil lips, and a man of deceit gives ear to a damaging tongue.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips; and a liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue.
King James Version (1611)
A wicked doer giueth heed to false lips: and a liar giueth eare to a naughtie tongue.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A wicked body geueth heede to false lippes, and a lyer geueth eare to a deceiptfull tongue.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A bad man hearkens to the tongue of transgressors: but a righteous man attends not to false lips.
English Revised Version
An evil-doer giveth heed to wicked lips; and a liar giveth ear to a mischievous tongue.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
An yuel man obeieth to a wickid tunge; and a fals man obeieth to false lippis.
Update Bible Version
An evil-doer gives heed to wicked lips; [And] a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.
Webster's Bible Translation
A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips: [and] a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
New English Translation
One who acts wickedly pays attention to evil counsel; a liar listens to a malicious tongue.
New King James Version
An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.
New Living Translation
Wrongdoers eagerly listen to gossip; liars pay close attention to slander.
New Life Bible
A wrong-doer listens to sinful lips. A liar listens to a tongue that destroys.
New Revised Standard
An evildoer listens to wicked lips; and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Discord, giveth heed to the aggrieving lip, - Falsehood, giveth ear to the destroying tongue.
Douay-Rheims Bible
The evil man obeyeth an unjust tongue: and the deceitful hearkeneth to lying lips.
Revised Standard Version
An evildoer listens to wicked lips; and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.
Young's Literal Translation
An evil doer is attentive to lips of vanity, Falsehood is giving ear to a mischievous tongue.
THE MESSAGE
Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Contextual Overview

4 The wicked giueth heed to false lippes, and a lyer hearkeneth to the naughtie tongue.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 28:4, 1 Samuel 22:7-11, 1 Kings 22:6-28, Isaiah 30:10, Jeremiah 5:31, 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 Timothy 4:4, 1 John 4:5, Revelation 13:3-8

Reciprocal: Exodus 23:1 - shalt not 1 Samuel 24:9 - General Proverbs 6:12 - naughty

Cross-References

Genesis 12:2
And I will make of thee a great nation, and will blesse thee, and make thy name great, and thou shalt be a blessing.
Genesis 13:16
And I will make thy seede, as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seede be numbred.
Genesis 16:10
Againe the Angel of the Lorde saide vnto her, I will so greatly increase thy seede, that it shal not be numbred for multitude.
Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninetie yeere olde and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said vnto him, I am God all sufficient. walke before me, and be thou vpright,
Genesis 17:11
That is, ye shall circumcise the foreskin of your flesh, and it shalbe a signe of the couenant betweene me and you.
Genesis 17:18
And Abraham saide vnto God, Oh, that Ishmael might liue in thy sight.
Genesis 22:17
Therefore will I surely blesse thee, and will greatly multiplie thy seede, as the starres of the heauen, and as the sand which is vpon the sea shore, and thy seede shall possesse the gate of his enemies.
Genesis 32:12
For thou saydest; I will surely doe thee good, and make thy seede as the sande of the sea, which can not be nombred for multitude.
Genesis 35:11
Againe God said vnto him, I am God all sufficient. growe, and multiplie. a nation and a multitude of nations shall spring of thee, and Kings shall come out of thy loynes.
Genesis 48:19
But his father refused, & sayd, I know well, my sonne, I know well: he shalbe also a people, and he shalbe great likewise: but his yonger brother shalbe greater then he, and his seede shall be full of nations.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips,.... A man of an ill spirit, of a mischievous disposition, that delights in doing wickedness; he carefully attends to such as speak falsehood; he listens to lies and calumnies, loves to hear ill reports of persons, and takes pleasure in spreading them to the hurt of their characters; and men of bad hearts and lives give heed to seducing spirits, to false teachers, to inch as speak lies in hypocrisy, who sooth and harden them in their wickedness;

[and] a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue: or, "to a tongue of destruction" a; a culumniating, backbiting tongue, which destroys the good name and reputation of men; and he that is given to lying is made up of lying, or is a lie itself, as the word signifies; who roves and makes a lie, as antichrist and his followers; such an one hearkens diligently to everything that may detract from the character of those especially he bears an ill will to: or it may be better rendered, "he that hearkens to a lie [gives heed] to a naughty tongue" b; for a lying tongue is a naughty one, evil in itself, pernicious in its effects and consequences.

a על לשון הות "perniciosae linguae", Tigurine version; "linguae confractionum calamitatum, injuriarum", Vatablus; "ad linguam exiliorum", Michaelis. b So Michaelis.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The two clauses describe two phases of the mutual affinities of evil. The evil-doer delights in lies, the liar in bad words.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 17:4. A wicked doer giveth heed — An evil heart is disposed and ever ready to receive evil; and liars delight in lies.


 
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