The wordsof his mouthare wickednessand deceit;He has ceasedto be wise[and] to dogood.
"For I have keptthe waysof the LORD,And have not actedwickedlyagainstmy God.
He walkedin the wayof his fatherAsaand did not departfrom it, doingrightin the sightof the LORD.
His mouthis fullof cursesand deceitand oppression;Underhis tongueis mischiefand wickedness.
But as for those who turnasideto their crookedways,The LORDwill leadthem away with the doersof iniquity.Peacebe upon Israel.
They sharpentheir tonguesas a serpent;Poisonof a viperis undertheir lips.Selah.
Thereis nothingreliablein whatthey say;Their inwardpartis destruction[itself]. Their throatis an opengrave;They flatterwith their tongue.
His speechwas smootherthanbutter,But his heartwas war;His wordswere softerthanoil,Yet they were drawnswords.
The wickedare estrangedfrom the womb;These who speakliesgoastrayfrom birth.
Payheed,you senselessamong the people;And whenwill you understand,stupidones?
For they cannotsleepunlessthey doevil;And they are robbedof sleepunlessthey make [someone] stumble.
"For My peopleare foolish,They knowMe not; They are stupidchildrenAnd havenounderstanding.They are shrewdto doevil,But to dogoodthey do not know."
Israelhas rejectedthe good;The enemywill pursuehim.
And those who have turnedbackfrom followingthe LORD,And those whohave not soughtthe LORDor inquiredof Him."
Oneof them, a lawyer,askedHim [a question], testingHim,
"And when it comes,it findsit sweptand put in order.
But we are not of those who shrink backto destruction,but of those who have faithto the preservingof the soul.
They wentout from us, but they were not [really] of us; for ifthey had beenof us, they would have remainedwith us; but [they went out], sothat it would be shownthat they allare not of us.
But Samuelsaidto Saul,"I will not returnwith you; for you have rejectedthe wordof the LORD,and the LORDhas rejectedyou from beingkingoverIsrael."
Now the Spiritof the LORDdepartedfrom Saul,and an evilspiritfrom the LORDterrorizedhim.
Saulthought,"I will giveher to him that she may becomea snareto him, and that the handof the Philistinesmay be against him." Therefore Saulsaidto David,"For a secondtimeyou may be my son-in-lawtoday."
Then Saulsaid,"I have sinned.Return,my sonDavid,for I will not harmyou againbecausemy lifewas preciousin your sightthisday.Behold,I have playedthe fooland have committeda seriouserror."
