⁵ A man who says smooth things to his neighbour is stretching out a net for his steps.

⁹ For no faith may be put in their words; their inner part is nothing but evil; their throat is like an open place for the dead; smooth are the words of their tongues.

² Everyone says false words to his neighbour: their tongues are smooth in their talk, and their hearts are full of deceit.

⁵ For it is common knowledge among you that we never made use of smooth-sounding false words, and God is witness that at no time were we secretly desiring profit for ourselves,

¹⁸ For such people are not servants of the Lord Christ, but of their stomachs; and by their smooth and well-said words the hearts of those who have no knowledge of evil are tricked.

²⁰ And they kept watch on him, and sent out secret representatives, who were acting the part of good men, in order that they might get something from his words, on account of which they might give him up to the government and into the power of the ruler.

²¹ And they put a question to him, saying, Master, we are certain that your teaching and your words are right, and that you have no respect for a man's position, but you are teaching the true way of God:

¹ Give ear to this, O priests; give attention, O Israel, and you, family of the king; for you are to be judged; you have been a deceit at Mizpah and a net stretched out on Tabor.

¹³ From on high he has sent fire into my bones, and it has overcome them: his net is stretched out for my feet, I am turned back by him; he has made me waste and feeble all the day.

²⁸ A false tongue has hate for those who have clean hearts, and a smooth mouth is a cause of falling.

²⁴ With his lips the hater makes things seem what they are not, but deceit is stored up inside him;

²⁵ When he says fair words, have no belief in him; for in his heart are seven evils:

¹⁹ He who goes about talking of the business of others gives away secrets: so have nothing to do with him whose lips are open wide.

²¹ With her fair words she overcame him, forcing him with her smooth lips.

⁵ So that they may keep you from the strange woman, even from her whose words are smooth.

¹⁷ Truly, to no purpose is the net stretched out before the eyes of the bird:

⁵ As for him who is false to his friend for a reward, light will be cut off from the eyes of his children.

¹⁷ Then your servant said, May the word of my lord the king give me peace! for my lord the king is as the angel of God in his hearing of good and bad: and may the Lord your God be with you!

¹⁸ Then the king said to the woman, Now give me an answer to the question I am going to put to you; keep nothing back. And the woman said, Let my lord the king say on.

¹⁹ And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with you in all this? And the woman in answer said, By the life of your soul, my lord the king, it is not possible for anyone to go to the right hand or to the left from anything said by the king: your servant Joab gave me orders, and put all these words in my mouth:

²⁰ This he did, hoping that the face of this business might be changed: and my lord is wise, with the wisdom of the angel of God, having knowledge of everything on earth.

²¹ And the king said to Joab, See now, I will do this thing: go then and Come back with the young man Absalom.

²² Then Joab, falling down on his face on the earth, gave the king honour and blessing; and Joab said, Today it is clear to your servant that I have grace in your eyes, my lord king, because the king has given effect to the request of his servant.

²³ So Joab got up and went to Geshur and came back again to Jerusalem with Absalom.

²⁴ And the king said, Let him go to his house, but let him not see my face. So Absalom went back to his house and did not see the face of the king.