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I

Help, Lord, for no one loyal remains;
    the faithful have vanished from the children of men.(A)

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22 Softer than butter is his speech,
    but war is in his heart.
Smoother than oil are his words,
    but they are unsheathed swords.(A)

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Even highly placed people
    plot to overthrow him.
They delight in lies;
    they bless with their mouths,
    but inwardly they curse.(A)
Selah

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24 With their lips enemies pretend,
    but inwardly they maintain deceit;
25 When they speak graciously, do not trust them,(A)
    for seven abominations[a] are in their hearts.
26 Hatred can be concealed by pretense,
    but malice will be revealed in the assembly.[b]
27 Whoever digs a pit falls into it;
    and a stone comes back upon the one who rolls it.(B)
28 The lying tongue is its owner’s enemy,
    and the flattering mouth works ruin.

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Footnotes

  1. 26:25 Seven abominations: many evil intentions.
  2. 26:26 Hate may be concealed for a time, but it will eventually issue in a deed and become known in the public assembly. There is a play on words: the consonants of the word “hatred” (ś’n) are literally concealed in the word “pretense” (mś’n).