Proverbs 17:4

One who acts wickedly ¹  pays attention to evil counsel; ²  a liar listens ³  to a malicious tongue. ⁴ 

A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.

An evildoer listens to wicked lips; A liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.

Wrongdoers listen to wicked talk; liars pay attention to destructive words.

Evil people relish malicious conversation; the ears of liars itch for dirty gossip.

A wrongdoer gives attention to evil lips, and a man of deceit gives ear to a damaging tongue.

An evildoer listens to wicked lips; and a liar gives heed to a mischievous tongue.

An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue.

One who acts wickedly ¹  pays attention to evil counsel; ²  a liar listens ³  to a malicious tongue. ⁴ 

¹ tn The Hiphil participle מֵרַע (mera’) indicates one who is a doer of evil. The line affirms that a person of this nature will eagerly listen to evil talk – it is part of his nature.

² tn Heb “to the lip of evil”; ASV, NAB, NASB, NRSV “wicked lips.” The term “lip” is a metonymy of cause for speech (what is said); the term “evil” is an attributive genitive. The same will be true in the parallel line where the expression “to the tongue of destruction” (NASB “a destructive tongue”) means things that are said that destroy others.

³ tc The verb מֵזִין (mezin) is from זִין (zir, “to feed”); therefore, the suggested emendation is to take it from אֹזֶן (’ozen, “ear”) as a denominative verb, “to give ear; to listen to.” Two Hebrew mss have this variant.

⁴ sn Wicked, self-serving people find destructive speech appealing. They should be rebuked and not tolerated (Lev 19:17).