Proverbs 17:7-9

American Standard Version

^7 [a]Excellent speech becometh not a fool;
Much less do lying lips a prince.
⁸ A bribe is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it;
Whithersoever ^[b]it turneth, ^[c]it ^[d]prospereth.
⁹ He that covereth a transgression seeketh love;
But he that harpeth on a matter separateth chief friends.