Proverbs 22:12-14 (ESV)
12 The eyes of the Lord keep watch over knowledge,
but he overthrows the words of the traitor.
13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!
I shall be killed in the streets!”
14 The mouth of forbidden women is a deep pit;
he with whom the Lord is angry will fall into it.
God’s word will stand to the end. The Lord protects knowledge and derails unfaithful speech. The sluggard speaks lies to justify his laziness. He claims that although he wants to work, he simply can’t, as there is a lion in the streets. To protect himself from potential harm, he must remain home and continue to be provided for by others. The lazy person will fabricate any excuse to keep from buckling down and working hard. The unfaithful woman also speaks lies. She seeks to entice the simple into her trap. In contrast to the fantasy lion in the street, the adulteress is a true danger. She uses flattery and deceptive speech to make naïve men feel self-confident, plunging recklessly into death together with her. The man who gives in will lose everything. Be on guard against deceptive words. Don’t use them to avoid hard work, and don’t succumb to them when they make you feel good.