Berean BlueOpen the app

Scripture · Old Testament

Proverbs 17:4

Proverbs 17:4 is verse 4 of Proverbs chapter 17, shown here in the Berean Standard Bible.

Berean Standard Bible

A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

BSB source and public domain terms

King James Version

A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

World English Bible

An evildoer heeds wicked lips. A liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.

Read in context

Proverbs 17:2–6 · Berean Standard Bible

2 A wise servant will rule over a disgraceful son and share his inheritance as one of the brothers.

3 A crucible for silver and a furnace for gold, but the LORD is the tester of hearts.

4 A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar gives ear to a destructive tongue.

5 He who mocks the poor insults their Maker; whoever gloats over calamity will not go unpunished.

6 Grandchildren are the crown of the aged, and the glory of a son is his father.

Read all of Proverbs 17

Hebrew words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Study Proverbs 17:4

Read the commentary on Proverbs 17

Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

Proverbs 28:4

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.

1 Samuel 22:7

Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds?

1 Samuel 22:8

Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.”

1 Samuel 22:9

But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with Saul’s servants, answered: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.

1 Samuel 22:10

Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

1 Samuel 22:11

Then the king sent messengers to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and his father’s whole family, who were priests at Nob. And all of them came to the king.

1 Kings 22:6

So the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and asked them, “Should I go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should I refrain?” “Go up,” they replied, “and the Lord will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

1 Kings 22:7

But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there not still a prophet of the LORD here of whom we can inquire?”

1 Kings 22:8

The king of Israel answered, “There is still one man who can ask the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good for me, but only bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.” “The king should not say that!” Jehoshaphat replied.

1 Kings 22:9

So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, “Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once.”

1 Kings 22:10

Dressed in royal attire, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them.

1 Kings 22:11

Now Zedekiah son of Chenaanah had made for himself iron horns and declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until they are finished off.’”

1 Kings 22:12

And all the prophets were prophesying the same, saying, “Go up to Ramoth-gilead and prosper, for the LORD will deliver it into the hand of the king.”

1 Kings 22:13

Then the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah instructed him, “Behold now, with one accord the words of the prophets are favorable to the king. So please let your words be like theirs, and speak favorably.”

1 Kings 22:14

But Micaiah said, “As surely as the LORD lives, I will speak whatever the LORD tells me.”

1 Kings 22:15

When Micaiah arrived, the king asked him, “Micaiah, should we go to war against Ramoth-gilead, or should we refrain?” “Go up and triumph,” Micaiah replied, “for the LORD will give it into the hand of the king.”

1 Kings 22:16

But the king said to him, “How many times must I make you swear not to tell me anything but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

1 Kings 22:17

So Micaiah declared: “I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd. And the LORD said, ‘These people have no master; let each one return home in peace.’”

1 Kings 22:18

Then the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Did I not tell you that he never prophesies good for me, but only bad?”

1 Kings 22:19

Micaiah continued, “Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left.

1 Kings 22:20

And the LORD said, ‘Who will entice Ahab to march up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?’ And one suggested this, and another that.

1 Kings 22:21

Then a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD, and said, ‘I will entice him.’ ‘By what means?’ asked the LORD.

1 Kings 22:22

And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’

1 Kings 22:23

So you see, the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours, and the LORD has pronounced disaster against you.”

1 Kings 22:24

Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah went up, struck Micaiah in the face, and demanded, “Which way did the Spirit of the LORD go when He departed from me to speak with you?”

1 Kings 22:25

Micaiah replied, “You will soon see, on that day when you go and hide in an inner room.”

1 Kings 22:26

And the king of Israel declared, “Take Micaiah and return him to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king’s son,

1 Kings 22:27

and tell them that this is what the king says: ‘Put this man in prison and feed him only bread and water until I return safely.’”

1 Kings 22:28

But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”

Isaiah 30:10

They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions.

Jeremiah 5:31

The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority. My people love it so, but what will you do in the end?

2 Timothy 4:3

For the time will come when men will not tolerate sound doctrine, but with itching ears they will gather around themselves teachers to suit their own desires.

2 Timothy 4:4

So they will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

1 John 4:5

They are of the world. That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, and the world listens to them.

Revelation 13:3

One of the heads of the beast appeared to be mortally wounded. But the mortal wound was healed, and the whole world marveled and followed the beast.

Revelation 13:4

They worshiped the dragon who had given authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can wage war against it?”

Revelation 13:5

The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for 42 months.

Revelation 13:6

And the beast opened its mouth to speak blasphemies against God and to slander His name and His tabernacle—those who dwell in heaven.

Revelation 13:7

Then the beast was permitted to wage war against the saints and to conquer them, and it was given authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation.

Revelation 13:8

And all who dwell on the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written from the foundation of the world in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb who was slain.

Open in Berean Blue