“The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord“: “Thoughts” renders the same word as used in 12.5. Here it refers to evil plans or intentions. For “abomination to the Lord” see 3.32.

“The words of the pure are pleasing to him”: As the Revised Standard Version footnote shows, the Hebrew text has “pleasant words are pure.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project, which understands the contrast to be between the evil plans in line 1 and the friendly words in line 2, rates the text as “A” and translates “but the gracious words are pure” or “but the friendly words are pure.” It is likely that the Septuagint supplied “for him” in order to make the two lines more fully parallel.

We should note that New Revised Standard Version departs from Revised Standard Version and follows the lead of Hebrew Old Testament Text Project “but gracious words are pure.” On the other hand Good News Translation as well as Contemporary English Version follow Revised Standard Version in the second line. It is recommended that translators follow Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. However, to say “friendly words are pure,” it may be necessary to adjust this expression to something like “kind words do not deceive people” or, filling out the text as Revised Standard Version has done, “but good words are pure in his sight.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Proverbs. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .