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28:1  Those who are vengeful will suffer the Lord’s vengeance, because the Lord keeps strict count of their sins.
28:2  Forgive your neighbor a wrong, and then, when you pray, your sins will be forgiven.
28:3  Can people hold on to their anger against others, and then look for healing from the Lord?
28:4  Can they refuse to have mercy on people like themselves, and then pray about their own sins?
28:5  If they, who are just flesh, hold on to anger, who will secure pardon for their own sins?
28:6  Be mindful of the end that awaits you, and put an end to enmity; be mindful of decay and death, and be faithful to the commandments.
28:7  Be mindful of the commandments, and don’t be irate at your neighbor; be mindful of the covenant of the Most High, and overlook a mistake.
28:8  Keep away from conflict, and you will reduce your sins; for hot-tempered people spark conflict.
28:9  Sinful people will stir up trouble for friends, and they spread slander among people who are at peace.
28:10  A fire burns in proportion to its fuel, and conflict increases the longer it continues. The more powerful individuals are, the stronger their anger will be; and the wealthier they are, the more their wrath will increase.
28:11  A hasty quarrel sparks a fire, and hasty conflict sheds blood.
28:12  If you blow on a spark, it will flame up, and if you spit on it, it will go out; nonetheless, both come out of your mouth.
28:13  A curse on slanderers and the deceitful, because they have destroyed many who are at peace.
28:14  Slander has shaken up many people, scattered them from nation to nation, demolished mighty cities, and overthrown the houses of dignitaries.
28:15  Slander has driven out courageous women, and it has deprived them of the rewards of their work.
28:16  Those who pay attention to slander will never find rest, nor will they live in peace.
28:17  The blow of a whip leaves a welt, but the blow of the tongue will break bones.
28:18  Many have fallen by the edge of the sword, but many more have fallen because of the tongue.
28:19  Happy is the person who is protected from the tongue, who hasn’t endured its anger, who hasn’t pulled its yoke or been bound by its shackles.
28:20  Its yoke is made of iron, and its shackles are made of bronze.
28:21  The death it inflicts is a wicked death, and the grave is preferable to it.
28:22  It will never conquer the godly, and they won’t be burned by its flame.
28:23  Those who abandon the Lord will fall to it; it will burn within them, and it will never go out. It will be sent against them like a lion, and like a leopard it will mangle them.
28:24  Watch out! Fence in your property with thorns,
28:25  and make a door and a bolt for your mouth. Lock up your silver and gold; make a balance and a weight for your words.
28:26  Pay attention, and don’t slip by your tongue; don’t fall in front of those who are just waiting to attack you.