For their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.
Parallel translations
- WEB for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about mischief.
- BSB for their hearts devise violence, and their lips declare trouble.
- NKJV For their heart devises violence, And their lips talk of troublemaking.
- NASB For their minds plot violence, And their lips talk of trouble.
- NLT For their hearts plot violence, and their words always stir up trouble.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The wicked are not to be envied, for their hearts and words are bent on violence and trouble.
Overview
This gives the reason not to envy the wicked: their inner life is consumed with plotting harm. Heart and speech alike are devoted to mischief and destruction. Such a portrait reminds us that what looks enviable on the surface conceals a corrupt center, the very heart Christ came to renew (Ezek. 36:26).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Ps 7:14Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
- Ps 10:7His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
- Ps 28:3Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.
- Isa 59:4None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.
- 1 Sam 23:9And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
- Job 15:35They conceive mischief, and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit.
- Esth 3:6–7And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
- Matt 26:3–4Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,
- Ps 36:4He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
- Acts 13:10And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
- Prov 6:14Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord.
- Mic 7:3That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
- Ps 64:4–6That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
- Luke 23:20–21Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake again to them.
- Ps 140:2Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.
- Prov 24:8He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 24:2 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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