Proverbs 17:4

Myles Coverdale Bible

A wicked body holdeth moch of false lippes, & a dyssemblynge persone geueth eare to a disceatfull toge.

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.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The wicked giueth heed to false lippes, and a lyer hearkeneth to the naughtie 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.

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 A wicked body holdeth moch of false lippes, & a dyssemblynge persone geueth eare to a disceatfull toge.

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 wil make of the a mightie people, and wyll blesse the, and make the a greate name, yee thou shalt be a very blessynge.

Genesis 13:16
and wyll make thy sede as the dust of the earth: so that yf a man can nombre the dust of the earth, he shall nombre thy sede also.

Genesis 16:10
And the angel of the LORDE sayde vnto her: Beholde, I wil so encreace yi sede, that it shall not be nombred for multitude.

Genesis 17:1
Now whan Abram was nyentye yeare olde and nyene, the LORDE appeared vnto him, & sayde vnto him: I am the allmightie God, walke before me, & be vncorrupte.

Genesis 17:11
and ye shall circumcyde the foreskynne of yor flesh. This same shalbe a token of the couenaunt betwene me and you.

Genesis 17:18
And Abraha sayde vnto God: O that Israel might lyue in thy sight.

Genesis 22:17
I wyll prospere and multiplye thy sede as the starres of heauen, and as the sonde vpon the see shore. And thy sede shall possesse the gates of his enemies:

Genesis 32:12
Thou saydest: I wyll do the good, and wyll make thy sede as the sonde of ye see, which can not be nombred for multitude.

Genesis 35:11
And God sayde vnto him: I am the Allmightie God, be frutefull and multiplye: people and a multitude of people shal come of the, and kynges shall come out of thy loynes:

Genesis 48:19
Neuertheles his father wolde not, & saide: I knowe it well my sonne, I knowe it well, this shall be a people also, & shalbe greate: but his yonger brother shal be greater the he, & his sede shal be full of people.

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.