Proverbs 26:26-28 (ESV)
26 though his hatred be covered with deception,
his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
and a flattering mouth works ruin.
Some are so wretched that they seek to destroy people and communities from the inside out. They despise those who live according to God’s standards and want to bring chaos among the people of the Lord. These miserable people are unhappy and feel better when they pull others down into the mud with them. They use flattery and manipulation to gain entrance into the confidences of those around them, and when the time is just right, they go in for the kill. But any apparent victory is only for a season. God sees and will allow the wicked woman’s own iniquity to return back to her. In time, she will be discovered. Though the flatterer seeks her own good to the ruin of others, in the end she will be ruined when her manipulative and self-seeking ways become exposed to the community. Beware of those who cover deceptive motives with generous words.