⁵ The thoughts of the righteous `are' justice, The counsels of the wicked -- deceit.

² Vanity they speak each with his neighbour, Lip of flattery! With heart and heart they speak.

³ Jehovah doth cut off all lips of flattery, A tongue speaking great things,

⁵ so, then, nothing before the time judge ye, till the Lord may come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of the darkness, and will manifest the counsels of the hearts, and then the praise shall come to each from God.

⁴ and they consulted together that they might take Jesus by guile, and kill `him',

¹⁶ Then Herod, having seen that he was deceived by the mages, was very wroth, and having sent forth, he slew all the male children in Beth-Lehem, and in all its borders, from two years and under, according to the time that he inquired exactly from the mages.

³ And Herod the king having heard, was stirred, and all Jerusalem with him,

⁴ and having gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he was inquiring from them where the Christ is born.

⁵ And they said to him, `In Beth-Lehem of Judea, for thus it hath been written through the prophet,

⁶ And thou, Beth-Lehem, the land of Judah, thou art by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for out of thee shall come one leading, who shall feed My people Israel.'

⁷ Then Herod, privately having called the mages, did inquire exactly from them the time of the appearing star,

⁸ and having sent them to Beth-Lehem, he said, `Having gone -- inquire ye exactly for the child, and whenever ye may have found, bring me back word, that I also having come may bow to him.'

¹⁴ Wash from evil thy heart, O Jerusalem, That thou mayest be saved, Till when dost thou lodge in thy heart Thoughts of thy strength?

⁷ Forsake doth the wicked his way, And the man of iniquity his thoughts, And he returneth to Jehovah, and He pitieth him, And unto our God for He multiplieth to pardon.

⁹ The thought of folly `is' sin, And an abomination to man `is' a scorner.

²³ The desire of the righteous `is' only good, The hope of the wicked `is' transgression.

¹ To the Overseer. -- A Psalm of David. Deliver me, O Jehovah, from an evil man, From one of violence Thou keepest me.

² Who have devised evils in the heart, All the day they assemble `for' wars.

³ They sharpened their tongue as a serpent, Poison of an adder `is' under their lips. Selah.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart, Try me, and know my thoughts,

¹⁵ In Thy precepts I meditate, And I behold attentively Thy paths.

⁶ And if he came to see -- vanity he speaketh, His heart gathereth iniquity to itself, He goeth out -- at the street he speaketh.

⁷ All hating me whisper together against me, Against me they devise evil to me:

² For he made `it' smooth to himself in his eyes, To find his iniquity to be hated.

³ The words of his mouth `are' iniquity and deceit, He ceased to act prudently -- to do good.

⁴ Iniquity he deviseth on his bed, He stationeth himself on a way not good, Evil he doth not refuse.'

² but did renounce for ourselves the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness, nor deceitfully using the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth recommending ourselves unto every conscience of men, before God;