A wicked scoundrel ¹  digs up ²  evil, and his slander ³  is like a scorching fire. ⁴ 

The people of those nations ¹  are both stupid and foolish. Instruction from a wooden idol is worthless! ² 

Lawless good-for-nothing men ¹  gathered around him and conspired ²  against Rehoboam son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was an inexperienced young man ³  and could not resist them.

But evil people are like thorns – all of them are tossed away, for they cannot be held in the hand.

A crooked witness ¹  scorns justice, and the mouth of the wicked devours ²  iniquity.

The one who works his land will be satisfied with food, ¹  but whoever chases daydreams ²  will have his fill ³  of poverty.

Again the Lord said to me, “Take up once more the equipment of a foolish shepherd. ¹ 

But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, ¹  quarrels, and fights about the law, ²  because they are useless and empty.

So Jephthah left ¹  his half-brothers ²  and lived in the land of Tob. Lawless men joined Jephthah’s gang and traveled with him. ³ 

All who worship idols are ashamed, those who boast about worthless idols. All the gods bow down before him. ¹ 

The one who works ¹  his field will have plenty ²  of food, but whoever chases daydreams ³  lacks wisdom. ⁴ 

For he ¹  knows deceitful ²  men; when he sees evil, will he not ³  consider it? ⁴ 

Let him not trust in what is worthless, ¹  deceiving himself; for worthlessness will be his reward. ² 

In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad ¹  tree bears bad fruit.

They paid him seventy silver shekels out of the temple of Baal-Berith. Abimelech then used the silver to hire some lawless, dangerous ¹  men as his followers. ² 

Yet my people have forgotten me and offered sacrifices to worthless idols! This makes them stumble along in the way they live and leave the old reliable path of their fathers. ¹  They have left them to walk in bypaths, in roads that are not smooth and level. ² 

However, Saul and the army spared Agag, along with the best of the flock, the cattle, the fatlings, ¹  and the lambs, as well as everything else that was of value. ²  They were not willing to slaughter them. But they did slaughter everything that was despised ³  and worthless.

Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, ¹  for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”

They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

But some wicked men ¹  said, “How can this man save us?” They despised him and did not even bring him a gift. But Saul said nothing about it. ²