¹² To deliver you from the way of evil, From the men who speak perverse things;

¹⁷ Therefore, "'Come out from among them, And be separate,' says the Lord, 'Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.

³³ Don't be deceived! "Evil companionships corrupt good morals."

²⁰ One who walks with wise men grows wise, But a companion of fools suffers harm.

¹³ The fear of Yahweh is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, the evil way, and the perverse mouth.

³⁰ Men will arise from among your own selves, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.

³ For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue mutters wickedness.

⁴ None sues in righteousness, and none pleads in truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.

⁵ They hatch adders' eggs, and weave the spider's web: he who eats of their eggs dies; and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper.

²⁸ A perverse man stirs up strife. A whisperer separates close friends.

²⁹ A man of violence entices his neighbor, And leads him in a way that is not good.

³⁰ One who winks his eyes to plot perversities, One who compresses his lips, is bent on evil.

⁶ Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding."

¹⁴ Don't enter into the path of the wicked. Don't walk in the way of evil men.

¹⁵ Avoid it, and don't pass by it. Turn from it, and pass on.

¹⁶ For they don't sleep, unless they do evil. Their sleep is taken away, unless they make someone fall.

¹⁷ For they eat the bread of wickedness, And drink the wine of violence.

³² For the perverse is an abomination to Yahweh, But his friendship is with the upright.

¹⁰ My son, if sinners entice you, don't consent.

¹¹ If they say, "Come with us, Let's lay in wait for blood; Let's lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

¹² Let's swallow them up alive like Sheol, And whole, like those who go down into the pit.

¹³ We'll find all valuable wealth. We'll fill our houses with spoil.

¹⁴ You shall cast your lot among us. We'll all have one purse."

¹⁵ My son, don't walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

¹⁶ For their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷ For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

¹⁸ But these lay wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

¹⁹ So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

⁴ Don't incline my heart to any evil thing, To practice deeds of wickedness with men who work iniquity. Don't let me eat of their delicacies.

⁴ A perverse heart will be far from me. I will have nothing to do with evil.

⁴ I have not sat with deceitful men, Neither will I go in with hypocrites.

⁵ I hate the assembly of evil-doers, And will not sit with the wicked.

⁴ As for the works of men, by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.

⁵ My steps have held fast to your paths, My feet have not slipped.