⁵ A man taking a portion above his neighbour, Spreadeth a net for his own steps.

⁹ For there is no stability in their mouth. Their heart `is' mischiefs, An open grave `is' their throat, Their tongue they make smooth.

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

⁵ for at no time did we come with speech of flattery, (as ye have known,) nor in a pretext for covetousness, (God `is' witness!)

¹⁸ for such our Lord Jesus Christ do not serve, but their own belly; and through the good word and fair speech they deceive the hearts of the harmless,

²⁰ And, having watched `him', they sent forth liers in wait, feigning themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of his word, to deliver him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor,

²¹ and they questioned him, saying, `Teacher, we have known that thou dost say and teach rightly, and dost not accept a person, but in truth the way of God dost teach;

¹ `Hear this, O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, And, O house of the king, give ear, For the judgment `is' for you, For, a snare ye have been on Mizpah, And a net spread out on Tabor.

¹³ From above He hath sent fire into my bone, And it subdueth it, He hath spread a net for my feet, He hath turned me backward, He hath made me desolate -- all the day sick.

²⁸ A lying tongue hateth its bruised ones, And a flattering mouth worketh an overthrow!

²⁴ By his lips doth a hater dissemble, And in his heart he placeth deceit,

²⁵ When his voice is gracious trust not in him, For seven abominations `are' in his heart.

¹⁹ A revealer of secret counsels is the busybody, And for a deceiver `with' his lips make not thyself surety.

²¹ She turneth him aside with the abundance of her speech, With the flattery of her lips she forceth him.

⁵ To preserve thee from a strange woman, From a stranger who hath made smooth her sayings.

¹⁷ Surely in vain is the net spread out before the eyes of any bird.

⁵ For a portion he sheweth friendship, And the eyes of his sons are consumed.

¹⁷ and thy maid-servant saith, Let, I pray thee, the word of my lord the king be for ease; for as a messenger of God so `is' my lord the king, to understand the good and the evil; and Jehovah thy God is with thee.'

¹⁸ And the king answereth and saith unto the woman, `Do not, I pray thee, hide from me the thing that I am asking thee;' and the woman saith, `Let, I pray thee, my lord the king speak.'

¹⁹ And the king saith, `Is the hand of Joab with thee in all this?' And the woman answereth and saith, `Thy soul liveth, my lord, O king, none `doth turn' to the right or to the left from all that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab he commanded me, and he put in the mouth of thy maid-servant all these words;

²⁰ in order to bring round the appearance of the thing hath thy servant Joab done this thing, and my lord `is' wise, according to the wisdom of a messenger of God, to know all that `is' in the land.'

²¹ And the king saith unto Joab, `Lo, I pray thee, thou hast done this thing; and go, bring back the young man Absalom.'

²² And Joab falleth on his face to the earth, and doth obeisance, and blesseth the king, and Joab saith, `To-day hath thy servant known that I have found grace in thine eyes, my lord, O king, in that the king hath done the word of his servant.'

²³ And Joab riseth and goeth to Geshur, and bringeth in Absalom to Jerusalem,

²⁴ and the king saith, `Let him turn round unto his house, and my face he doth not see.' And Absalom turneth round unto his house, and the face of the king he hath not seen.