A wicked person listens to deceitful lips; a liar pays attention to a destructive tongue.
Two characters are mentioned in this proverb – “a wicked person” and “a liar.” But the real focus here is on words.
These are not good people, so it isn’t surprising they don’t do good things here. In both cases, each chooses to “listen to deceitful lips” and “pay attention to a destructive tongue.”
“Deceitful lips” and “destructive tongue” will do none of us any good. They don’t lead to truth or anything helpful.
These are words purposely designed for harm and evil. So, it’s not a surprise to know that “a wicked person” and “a liar” are the ones who will “listen” or “pay attention” to such messages.
Our wise saying points out the type of folks who are willing to hear words like this – the wicked and liars. And, if I’m listening with them, that puts me in pretty bad company!