Proverbs 17:13
Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good.
In context
10 A rebuke impresses a discerning person more than a hundred lashes a fool. 11 Evildoers foster rebellion against God; the messenger of death will be sent against them. 12 Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool bent on folly.
13 Evil will never leave the house of one who pays back evil for good. 14 Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out. 15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— the Lord detests them both. 16 Why should fools have money in hand to buy wisdom, when they are not able to understand it?
Compare in other versions
- KJV King James Version
— Proverbs 17:13 in the KJV
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, Evil shall not depart from his house.
- ESV English Standard Version
— Proverbs 17:13 in the ESV
If anyone returns evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.